This professional development plan aims to implement WIDA's 15 Essential Actions across DoDEA schools. The plan will provide a rationale and background information to ESOL instructors. Instructors will then be trained through an online course to coach teachers. Instructors will collaborate with each other and teachers throughout implementation. Teachers will provide feedback to evaluate the training and new course materials. Continuing professional development will be offered to support ongoing implementation.

1. A Professional
Development
Plan for
Implementing
WIDA’s15
Essential Actions
Tom Wiglesworth
DoDEA ESOL Community 2019

2. Organizational
Demographics
● 4 Main Communities
● 6 Distinct Locations (2 satellite locations – NY/Cuba)
● Time Zone Difference 1-hour during fall semester
● 1 main instructor – Tom Wiglesworth
● 3 adjunct instructors – Seval Gomez, Loretta Eng, and
Angelica Jordan
● Open to DoDEA Teachers worldwide
● WIDA Implementation Required
● Course run in Schoology for one semester August to
December 2019

3. Program
Background
● DoDEA adoption of WIDA Standards
● ESOL Teachers trained on WIDA Screener
● Focus on Co-planning, Co-teaching and differentiation
for student success
● WIDA Standards aligned to CCRS
● Textbooks eliminated, Support Materials on WIDA
Secure Website
● This courses use open educational resources (OERs)
and authentic materials
● Course supports DoDEA Focused Collaboration
Initiative and the DoDEA Blueprint for student
excellence

4. WIDA
Essential
Elements:
Course
description
WIDA 15 Essential Actions – “Essential Actions is a response to three
frequently asked questions about WIDA’s Framework for language
development standards: ‘Why are there so many components?,’ ‘What is the
reasoning behind each component?,’ and ‘What is important to consider in
implementing English language development standards?’”
– Essential Actions Handbook by Margo Gottlieb, 2013

5. Key features
of the
course
● No purchased textbook, Handbook available on internet
● Modular-based
● Course Content is authentic and application oriented
● Course reference sources are published by WIDA
● Content applies cross-content (ELA, social studies,
science, mathematics, and electives).
● Created by ESOL ISSs
● Approach is task-based.
● Contains detailed lesson plans for 1 semester 3-credits
● Course is housed 100% in the DoDEA Schoology
learning management system (online).
● Course is taught in blended format with opportunities for
face-to-face collaboration and modeling.

6. Audience
for the PD
Plan
● School level ESOL Teachers, Classroom Teachers,
School Administrators
Target audience for trainees
● All DodEA ESOL Teachers

7. An online-
based PD
plan
An online based Schoology-based LMS plan is suitable
because we anticipate ESOL teachers in DoDEA worldwide to
participate. Implementation should be consistent throughout
DoDEA.
Characteristics
● Master ESOL ISS trainers
● Immediately relevant to faculty
● Encourages an ESOL Professional community of
learning
● Promotes Focused Collaboration with classroom
teachers

8. Phase I:
Providing a
rationale
and
background
This part will be done prior to starting the Course in
August 2019
● Provide ESOL ISSs with resources and activities
● Focus on implementation of WIDA with fidelity across
DoDEA
● Provide ESOL ISSs with Course Alignment Worksheet
● Provide ESOL ISSs with access to the template course
in the LMS.
● Encourage ESOL ISS to take the online asynchronous
WIDA-provided Training of Trainers for 16 1 hour
trainings using the Essential Actions.

9. Sample course alignment worksheet

10. Phase 2:
Train the
Instructors
● Course Instructors will come from ESOL ISSs who took
the WIDA Train the Trainers Course and who
participated in the 3-credit course development.
● Training will consist of
○ A checklist for Instructors
○ Minimum requirements for communicating with course
participants
○ Parameters of coaching teachers
○ Technology to use in coaching such as Google Hangouts,
Zoom, or VTC for online meetings

11. Phase 2:
Hands-on
workshop
Participants will have access to WIDA site resources and the
Course Syllabus/materials in the DoDEA Schoology LMS. The
training takes place online and in blended format coaching.
● Course Instructors will be guided to connect with ESOL
teachers in their regions/districts and establish
discussion blogs.
● Course Instructors will receive instructions (written and
spoken) on how to conduct the coaching elements.
● Course Instructors will collaborate on issues arising from
various regional discussions and implementation issues.
● Course Instructors will meet regularly online throughout
the course from August to December.

12. Phase 3:
Peer
collaboration
Course Instructors will be provided with opportunities to
collaborate with each other and provide input into the new
course.
● Course Instructors will meet each other at the initial
online implementation meeting.
● Course Instructors will regularly share in the LMS and
discuss whether each region should run a separate
version of the course in the LMS.
● Course Instructors will be encouraged to visit each
other’s LMS forums with an ‘open classroom’ mindset.
(Burns, 2014).
● Course Instructors will communicate via previously
established online meetings, emails, and Lync chats.

13. Phase 4:
Teacher
Feedback
Teachers participating in the course will be able to provide
feedback on the training and the new course via:
● Formative assessments (anonymous) midway and at the
end of the semester
● Group discussion at the end of the semester
● With each other through peer collaborations at sites and
within districts
● Through their students formative assessments and
classroom reactions to the new course materials.
A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) will be developed based
on teacher feedback.

14. Continuing
PD
● Course Instructors who have taught the course will be
encouraged to develop new materials.
● The Schoology Course site will house articles, videos,
and podcasts relevant to task-based activities and OER
materials. Teachers will continue to have access to the
site.
● Teachers will be encouraged to participate in leading or
contributing to PD for new teachers.

15. References Burns, M. (2014). Five models of teacher
professional development. Retrieved from
https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/five-models-
teacher-centered-professional-development
Guskey, T. (2002). Does it make a difference?
Evaluating professional development. Educational
Leadership 59 (6), 45-51.
Whiting, K. (2016). Three models of PD. Retrieved
from https://prezi.com/er7znexv2hnm/3-models-of-
pd/