Dual Language Bilingual education Foundations Series  

Summer Institute PD For New & Establishing Programs/Educators

VIRTUAL PD: In this series, there are numerous different 2-hour, 4-hour, and 6-hour virtual Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) Professional Development (PD) sessions offered Monday, August 4 to Friday, August 15 at 9:30-11:30am and 1:00-3:00pm. Zoom links will be sent out a week prior. View full Summer Institute 2025 schedule. Visit our FAQs. 

ABOUT:  This is a series for both educators and leaders looking to understand the building blocks and resources for DLBE programs. Some sessions address program structure and planning, while others focus on instruction and coaching.

COST: The registration cost per 2-hours of PD for members is $100. Non-members have an additional one-time $50 charge (for yearly membership fee – learn more about MABE member benefits here). When registering, first select your member status, and then select the sessions you would like to attend. 

AUDIENCE: Designed for new and establishing programs and educators. 

REGISTRATION: Registration closes Friday, July 18. Late registration (with additional fee) defaults on Saturday, July 19. Minimum of 10 registrants per session. 

SESSIONS: 

• DLBE Essentials
       Monday, August 4 & Tuesday, August 5, 9:30-11:30am (4-hours)
              Member Cost: $200 | Non-Member Cost: $250
  Facilitator(s): Meg Burns (MABE Director of Professional Development) Description: This two-day PD provides an overview presentation for educators, community members, and other partners of a district/school contemplating or new to DLBE at the elementary-school level. This PD also provides a foundational knowledge of DLBE as well as an understanding of the planning and commitment required to build a successful program. The goal is for all participants to understand the research and theoretical rationale, the goals, and a beginning understanding of the program structure of DLBE. 
  
  
• ️Considerations in Program Planning & Implementation
       Monday, August 4, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours)
             Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Meg Burns (MABE Director of Professional Learning) & Phyllis Hardy (MABE Executive Director) 
  Description: An introduction to and preview of the Sembrando Raíces and La Siembra program planning retreats, this session will introduce topics such as enrollment procedures, school language policy, staffing and hiring, language allocation plans, communication plans, and action plans. We will discuss why these early decision-making steps are essential for ensuring long-term program success and district systemic coherence.
  
  
• Language Allocation Plan vs. Curriculum Alignment Plan
       Tuesday, August 5, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours)
             Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Elissa Washburn (MABE Program Coordinator & Consultant) & Meg Burns (MABE Director of Professional Development) 
  Description: An introduction to and preview of the El Brote program planning retreat, this session will introduce two essential components of DLBE planning: the language allocation plan and curriculum alignment plan. We will discuss why creating these two plans prior to program launch will help ensure program success and district systemic coherence. 
  
  
• Spanish Foundational Skills for Emerging Bilinguals: Standards, Skills, & Strategies for Success
       Wednesday, August 6 - Friday, August 8, 9:30-11:30am (6-hours)
            Member Cost: $300 | Non-Member Cost: $350
  Facilitator(s): Ayda Parra-Rojas & Sarah Rodriguez (Windham Public Schools, CT Dual Language Specialists)
  Description: This three-day PD will explore how should Spanish Literacy Foundational Skills be taught in a DLBE Program. Participants will learn to determine strengths and weaknesses of approaches, methods, and programs currently in use for teaching Spanish Literacy Foundational Skills. Participants will make a year-long plan to teach their grade-level Spanish Literacy Foundational Skills Standards, experience teaching strategies for helping students acquire Foundational Skills (including placing and defending the correct use of the accent mark), and plan contrastive analysis activities for their students to develop metalinguistic awareness around the Foundational Skills.
  This PD is presented bilingually, partially in Spanish and partially in English.
  
  
• DLBE Coaching Institute
        Wednesday, August 6 - Friday, August 8, 1:00-3:00pm (6-hours)
            Member Cost: $300 | Non-Member Cost: $350
  Facilitator(s): Amy Finsmith (Windham Public Schools, CT Supervisor of Multilingual Education) 
  Description: 
  • This three-day PD will begin with "Part 1:  Building Coherence in DLBE Programs with the Cornerstones Framework" (please note that Part 1 is also available as a stand-alone session, see next session description). Coherence across classrooms, schools, and districts is essential for student success in dual language education. This interactive training supports Dual Language leaders and coaches in deepening their understanding of intentional dual language pedagogy while fostering instructional alignment. Participants will explore The Cornerstones Framework, a practical tool for guiding instruction, coaching, supervision, and professional development. Through discussions and hands-on activities, they will learn to apply this framework to support both novice and experienced teachers and leaders. Attendees will leave with a clear vision, practical tools, and a copy of the framework to strengthen dual language programs in their schools and districts.
  • Part 2 and 3 of this session is designed for new and experienced DLBE coaches who want to refine their coaching practice and explore what makes coaching in DLBE settings unique. Transitioning from teaching or general instructional coaching to Dual Language coaching requires a distinct skill set and lens. Participants will examine the key differences between content-area coaching and DLBE coaching, engage in critical reflection on their current practices, and gain hands-on experience with a coaching model tailored for DLBE programs. Through interactive discussions and coaching simulations, attendees will strengthen their ability to support teachers in developing and implementing effective multilingual teaching strategies in a DLBE classroom.
  Whether you are transitioning into a DLBE coaching role, new to coaching, or an experienced coach looking to enhance your approach, this institute provides a structured space to analyze, refine, and elevate your coaching practice.
  
  
• Building Coherence in DLBE Programs with the Cornerstones Framework
       Wednesday, August 6, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours) 
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Amy Finsmith (Windham Public Schools, CT Supervisor of Multilingual Education) 
  Description: Coherence across classrooms, schools, and districts is essential for student success in dual language education. This interactive training supports Dual Language leaders and coaches in deepening their understanding of intentional dual language pedagogy while fostering instructional alignment. Participants will explore The Cornerstones Framework, a practical tool for guiding instruction, coaching, supervision, and professional development. Through discussions and hands-on activities, they will learn to apply this framework to support both novice and experienced teachers and leaders. Attendees will leave with a clear vision, practical tools, and a copy of the framework to strengthen dual language programs in their schools and districts.
• This session is included in the 3-day registration for DLBE Coaching Institute above, but it is also available a stand-alone session.
  
  
• ️Supporting Dually Identified Students in DLBE
       Monday, August 11, 9:30-11:30am (2-hours) 
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Phyllis Hardy (MABE Executive Director)   
  Description: This workshop will address how a DLBE program can be created to support ALL students, including students with complex behavioral, social, and learning needs. The white paper "Welcoming Bilingual Students with Disabilities into DL Programs" will ground the content of this workshop.
  
  
• ️Three Pillars, Three Objectives
       Tuesday, August 12, 9:30-11:30am (2-hours)
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Elissa Washburn (MABE Program Coordinator & Consultant) 
  Description:  To better understand how to target and support language in dual language classrooms, participants in this PD will identify and review the three objectives all dual language lessons should have: content, language, and cultural objectives. The majority of the time will be spent diving deeply into language objectives, learning about the components of effective language objectives: language functions, language features, and language supports.
  

• ️Oracy in DLBE
       Tuesday, August 12-Friday, August 15, 9:30-11:30am (6-hours)
            Member Cost: $300 | Non-Member Cost: $350 
  Facilitator(s): Elissa Washburn (MABE Program Coordinator & Consultant) 
  Description: This three-day PD will explore the following:
  • Beginning Oracy: Academic Conversations - This course will introduce Academic Conversations (Jeff Zweir) and discuss how to modify this pedagogy for the DLBE classroom. We will review the different components of Zweir’s academic conversations through video examples in Spanish and English. We will discuss a timeline for implementation and modifications for different elementary grade levels. Participants will have an opportunity to practice academic conversation skills - paraphrasing/summarizing, elaborating/clarifying, building on/challenging, supporting, and applying/connecting and leave with strategies for building oracy in their DLBE classroom.
  • Scaffolding Oracy for DLBE - In this session, we will consider how to backwards design oracy activities for language. We will create a variety of scaffolding tiers to support oral language for students at different levels of language acquisition. Participants will backwards plan an academic conversation with differentiated scaffolding.
  • Diving Deeper into Oracy: Visible Thinking Routines - This course will offer an advanced oracy pedagogy, Visible Thinking Routines (Harvard's Project Zero), and discuss how to modify it for the DLBE classroom. We will review the possibilities available in the Visible Thinking Toolkit and see examples of the toolkit in practice. Participants will have an opportunity to practice several visible thinking routines and leave with advanced strategies for building oracy through Visible Thinking Routines in their DLBE classroom.

• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of 4 or more individuals from a district/school). 
• Payment Policy: MABE must receive payment or Purchase Order numbers by the date registration closes (send to elissawashburn@mabene.org). Sorry, American Express cards not accepted. 
• Cancellation & Refund Policy: Event registrations are transferable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. Cancellation refunds of payments will be subject to a 10% reduction of the registration fee, refundable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts.

LEADERSHIP IN DUAL LANGUAGE BILINGUAL EDUCATION

Summer Institute PD For Leaders

VIRTUAL PD: In this series, there are numerous different 2-hour, 4-hour, and 6-hour virtual Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) Professional Development (PD) series offered Monday, August 4 to Friday, August 8 at 9:30-11:30am and 1:00-3:00pm. Zoom links will be sent out a week prior. View full Summer Institute 2025 schedule. Visit our FAQs. 

ABOUT: This series is for both new and experienced leaders. As a result of our Pre-Conference Advocacy Roundtable in March 2025, we committed to offering more PD specific to leaders to increase their capacity. Leaders can pick and choose the sessions in this series that speak to their current needs; some sessions are more foundational while others are more specific to program structure, instruction, and coaching.

COST: The registration cost per 2-hours of PD for members is $100. Non-members have an additional one-time $50 charge (for yearly membership fee – learn more about MABE member benefits here). When registering, first select your member status, and then select the sessions you would like to attend. 

AUDIENCE: Designed for DLBE leaders. 

REGISTRATION: Registration closes Friday, July 18. Late registration (with additional fee) defaults on Saturday, July 19. Minimum of 10 registrants per session. 

SESSIONS: 

• DLBE Essentials
       Monday, August 4 & Tuesday, August 5, 9:30-11:30am (4-hours)
              Member Cost: $200 | Non-Member Cost: $250
  Facilitator(s): Meg Burns (MABE Director of Professional Development) Description: This two-day PD provides an overview presentation for educators, community members, and other partners of a district/school contemplating or new to DLBE at the elementary-school level. This PD also provides a foundational knowledge of DLBE as well as an understanding of the planning and commitment required to build a successful program. The goal is for all participants to understand the research and theoretical rationale, the goals, and a beginning understanding of the program structure of DLBE. 
  
  
• ️Considerations in Program Planning & Implementation
       Monday, August 4, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours)
             Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Meg Burns (MABE Director of Professional Learning) & Phyllis Hardy (MABE Executive Director) 
  Description: An introduction to and preview of the Sembrando Raíces and La Siembra program planning retreats, this session will introduce topics such as enrollment procedures, school language policy, staffing and hiring, language allocation plans, communication plans, and action plans. We will discuss why these early decision-making steps are essential for ensuring long-term program success and district systemic coherence.
  
  
• Language Allocation Plan vs. Curriculum Alignment Plan
       Tuesday, August 4, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours)
             Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Elissa Washburn (MABE Program Coordinator & Consultant) & Meg Burns (MABE Director of Professional Development) 
  Description: An introduction to and preview of the El Brote program planning retreat, this session will introduce two essential components of DLBE planning: the language allocation plan and curriculum alignment plan. We will discuss why creating these two plans prior to program launch will help ensure program success and district systemic coherence. 
  
  
• Bilingual Teacher Recruitment, Hiring, & Retention
       Wednesday, August 6, 9:30-11:30am (2-hours) 
             Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Amanda Campbell (Lynn Public Schools, MA Deputy Director of Multilingual Education)
  Description: This session will explore concrete strategies for addressing the challenges of recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified bilingual teachers and staff. We will discuss the process for building a comprehensive district-wide approach to recruitment and hiring, as well as the potential for fund-stacking opportunities to support teacher growth and development in a “grow-your-own” model. 
  

• DLBE Coaching Institute
        Wednesday, August 6 - Friday, August 8, 1:00-3:00pm (6-hours)
            Member Cost: $300 | Non-Member Cost: $350
  Facilitator(s): Amy Finsmith (Windham Public Schools, CT Supervisor of Multilingual Education) 
  Description: 
  • This three-day PD will begin with "Part 1:  Building Coherence in DLBE Programs with the Cornerstones Framework" (please note that Part 1 is also available as a stand-alone session, see next session description). Coherence across classrooms, schools, and districts is essential for student success in dual language education. This interactive training supports Dual Language leaders and coaches in deepening their understanding of intentional dual language pedagogy while fostering instructional alignment. Participants will explore The Cornerstones Framework, a practical tool for guiding instruction, coaching, supervision, and professional development. Through discussions and hands-on activities, they will learn to apply this framework to support both novice and experienced teachers and leaders. Attendees will leave with a clear vision, practical tools, and a copy of the framework to strengthen dual language programs in their schools and districts.
  • Part 2 and 3 of this session is designed for new and experienced DLBE coaches who want to refine their coaching practice and explore what makes coaching in DLBE settings unique. Transitioning from teaching or general instructional coaching to Dual Language coaching requires a distinct skill set and lens. Participants will examine the key differences between content-area coaching and DLBE coaching, engage in critical reflection on their current practices, and gain hands-on experience with a coaching model tailored for DLBE programs. Through interactive discussions and coaching simulations, attendees will strengthen their ability to support teachers in developing and implementing effective multilingual teaching strategies in a DLBE classroom.
  Whether you are transitioning into a DLBE coaching role, new to coaching, or an experienced coach looking to enhance your approach, this institute provides a structured space to analyze, refine, and elevate your coaching practice.
  
  
• Building Coherence in DLBE Programs with the Cornerstones Framework
      Wednesday, August 6, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours) 
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Amy Finsmith (Windham Public Schools, CT Supervisor of Multilingual Education) 
  Description: Coherence across classrooms, schools, and districts is essential for student success in dual language education. This interactive training supports Dual Language leaders and coaches in deepening their understanding of intentional dual language pedagogy while fostering instructional alignment. Participants will explore The Cornerstones Framework, a practical tool for guiding instruction, coaching, supervision, and professional development. Through discussions and hands-on activities, they will learn to apply this framework to support both novice and experienced teachers and leaders. Attendees will leave with a clear vision, practical tools, and a copy of the framework to strengthen dual language programs in their schools and districts.
  This session is included in the 3-day registration for DLBE Coaching Institute above, but it is also available a stand-alone session.

• DLBE Leadership Dilemmas 
        Thursday, August 7, 9:30-11:30am (2-hours)
             Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Evelyn Cosme-Jones (Center for Leadership and Educational Equity, Principal Residency Network Director), & Katie Cardamone (Nuestro Mundo Public Charter School, RI Co-Founder & Program Director) 
  Description: This session will explore common dilemmas faced by DLBE leaders and brainstorm possible solutions. Based on work from the Center for Leadership and Educational Equity, the session will use foundational principles of leadership, adapted for the unique needs of DLBE, to address key challenges in DLBE leadership.

• Ensuring Success of a DLBE Strand
         Friday, August 8, 9:30-11:30am (2-hours)
             Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Liliana Smith (Wayland Public Schools, MA Spanish Immersion Coordinator) 
  Description: This session will take a look at the foundational pillars necessary for a successful DLE program. We will explore instructional practices and ways to build community and culture.

• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of 4 or more individuals from a district/school). 
• Payment Policy: MABE must receive payment or Purchase Order numbers by the date registration closes (send to elissawashburn@mabene.org). Sorry, American Express cards not accepted. 
• Cancellation & Refund Policy: Event registrations are transferable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. Cancellation refunds of payments will be subject to a 10% reduction of the registration fee, refundable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts.

Translanguaging In Action Series

Summer Institute PD For Experienced DLBE Educators

VIRTUAL PD: In this series, there are numerous different 2-hour virtual Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) Professional Development (PD) sessions offered Monday, August 11 to Friday, August 15 at 9:30-11:30am and 1:00-3:00pm. Zoom links will be sent out a week prior. View full Summer Institute 2025 schedule. Visit our FAQs. 

ABOUT: This series presents specific instructional practices around cross-linguistics and metalinguistic awareness, approaches for classroom-based formative assessment that integrate understandings of holistic bilingualism and biliteracy, as well as some foundational discussion of applied linguistics and bilingual development.

COST: The registration cost per 2-hours of PD for members is $100. Non-members have an additional one-time $50 charge (for yearly membership fee – learn more about MABE member benefits here). When registering, first select your member status, and then select the sessions you would like to attend. 

AUDIENCE: Designed for experienced DLBE educators. 

REGISTRATION: Registration closes Friday, July 18. Late registration (with additional fee) defaults on Saturday, July 19. Minimum of 10 registrants per session. 

SESSIONS: 

• Bilingual & Second Language Development
       Monday, August 11, 9:30-11:30am (2-hours)
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Meg Burns (MABE Director of Professional Development) Description: In this session, we will explore traditional and newer understandings of language development. Different student profiles will be presented as examples of “second language” and “bilingual” learners, and this terminology will be unpacked. We will discuss how changing student demographics require different understandings of language acquisition and learning and how these understandings affect our teaching and assessment decisions.

• Understanding the "Linguistics" in Cross Linguistics
       Monday, August 11, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours)
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Elissa Washburn (MABE Program Coordinator & Consultant) Description: In this session, we will define metalinguistic awareness, crosslinguistic connections, and translanguaging and we will discuss how to make a place for these in our DLBE classrooms. We will review the components of effective language objectives and develop a deep understanding of language features in order to consider how to explicitly teach comparative analysis of language to our dual language learners.
  
  
• Understanding & Communicating Holistic Bilingualism
        Tuesday, August 12, 9:30-11:30am (2-hours)
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Sue McGilvray-Rivet (MABE Consultant & Retired Educator) Description: This session will explore the rationale and process for creating and monitoring biliteracy benchmarks and trajectories based in a holistic view of bilingualism. Using a framework from Biliteracy from the Start: Literacy Squared In Action's (Escamilla, 2013), participants will evaluate their own biliteracy assessments and either produce a plan for creating benchmarks or revise their current plan for monitoring the biliteracy growth and development of their DLBE program students. 
• 
  
• Planning for Translanguaging
        Tuesday, August 12, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours)
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Elissa Washburn (MABE Program Coordinator & Consultant) Description: In this session, we will plan intentionally for translanguaging in the dual language classroom. We will label different types of translanguaging using vocabulary from Tandem Teaching (Howard & Simpson, 2024), consider the pros and cons of these types, and plan for explicit instruction in comparative analysis of languages as well as purposeful translanguaging with an authentic purpose.

• Observing Students' Cross-Language Strategies in Bilingual Oral Language
        Wednesday, August 13, 9:30-11:30am (2-hours)
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Meg Burns (MABE Director of Professional Development) Description: This session will examine how an approach to student observation and formative assessment informed by holistic bilingualism can effectively inform our oral language and oracy instruction. We will examine examples of student talk and analyze students’ approximations as evidence of their strategic use of their full linguistic repertoire. We will discuss implications for instruction.

• Introduction to The Bridge
        Wednesday, August 13, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours)
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Elissa Washburn (MABE Program Coordinator & Consultant) Description:  This session is a brief introduction to The Bridge (based on Teaching for Biliteracy: Strengthening Bridges Between Languages [Karen Beeman & Urow, 2012]) for teachers of DLBE learners. We will review three components of the Bridge: a level one translation "bridge," a level two "Bridge" with a metalinguistic focus, and a follow-up activity to the bridge lesson. We will analyze a sample "bridge" from the elementary level and discuss the purpose of each of the three components. Participants will dive deeply into the metalinguistic awareness opportunities provided by the level two bridge and practice planning a sample bridge together. 

• Observing Students' Cross-Language Strategies in Biliteracy      Thursday, August 14, 9:30-11:30am (2-hours)
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Meg Burns (MABE Director of Professional Development) Description: This session will examine how an approach to student observation and formative assessment informed by holistic bilingualism can effectively inform our biliteracy instruction. We will examine examples of student writing and analyze students’ approximations as evidence of their strategic use of their full linguistic repertoire. We will discuss implications for instruction.

• Así Se Dice & Dictado
        Thursday, August 14, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours)
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Elissa Washburn (MABE Program Coordinator & Consultant) Description: This session is designed to share strategies from Literacy Squared’s Así Se Dice to explicitly teach cross linguistic connections in Spanish DLBE classrooms. Participants will discuss how to write targeted metalinguistic awareness language objectives that compare and contrast English and a partner language in a contextualized setting, focusing on the difference between literal and conceptual translations. We will also share strategies from Literacy Squared’s Dictado to explicitly teach phonics, syntax and grammar in Spanish DLBE classrooms. Participants will discuss how to write targeted metalinguistic awareness language objectives for dictation exercises that allow students to increase their academic language through writing and editing. 

• Students as Language Detectives: Using metalinguistic awareness to build vocabulary in two languages
        Friday, August 15, 1:00-3:00pm (2-hours)
            Member Cost: $100 | Non-Member Cost: $150
  Facilitator(s): Rachel Gately (Worcester Public Schools, MA DLBE Educator) Description: In this session, we will explore classroom tested metalinguistic strategies to help students build their own vocabulary and discover connections across languages. Participants will take on the role of a student to complete a routine that can be flexibly implemented in any classroom. Participants will leave with strategies and resources that can be implemented immediately, as well as ideas on how to get students excited to take ownership of their own learning and how to make vocabulary fun! 

• Registration Policy: Please contact megburns@mabene.org for group registrations (registrations for a group of 4 or more individuals from a district/school). 
• Payment Policy: MABE must receive payment or Purchase Order numbers by the date registration closes (send to elissawashburn@mabene.org). Sorry, American Express cards not accepted. 
• Cancellation & Refund Policy: Event registrations are transferable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts. Cancellation refunds of payments will be subject to a 10% reduction of the registration fee, refundable up to 1 week (7 days) before the event starts.