Para Los Niños, a free charter network in the Los Angeles Unified School District, partnered with NTC to provide professional learning for teachers of multilingual learners (ML). We also collaborated with leaders to build a comprehensive network plan to improve outcomes for multilingual learners.

PLN initially partnered with NTC to provide professional learning for all elementary teachers to better support the charter network’s large multilingual learner (ML) population. Our focus was on strengthening teachers’ foundational understanding of multilingual education — emphasizing asset-based approaches, dynamic instructional practices, and a deeper understanding of students’ experiences and backgrounds.

NTC also developed an oracy (oral language) observation tool to assess/understand current ML instructional practice and to pinpoint key areas for growth. Using these insights, we designed professional learning for teachers and coaches to plan using specific oral language instructional practices differentiated by students’ stages of language development. The partnership then expanded into a network-wide approach, integrating professional learning and coaching for teachers across elementary and middle schools. NTC also collaborated with leaders to analyze data, co-develop an instructional vision, and build a comprehensive network plan to improve outcomes for multilingual learners.