School-Wide English Learning

Your best strategies for multilingual learners are already down the hall.

The trouble is they're stuck there. Your multilingual learners of English (MLEs) spend most of their day in gen-ed rooms with teachers who want to help but were never trained to. The SWEL framework brings what English language teachers already know into every classroom — no outside consultants required.

10.6% of U.S. K-12 students are identified as English learners, and their numbers have grown steadily for over a decade, reaching new states and districts that haven’t always had the resources to support them. (New America, 2025; NCES data)

Gen-ed teachers want to help. Most haven’t been prepared to.

The belief that MLEs will "pick it up" by proximity has held districts back for years. What's missing is a system for sustained professional learning.

Sitting near English isn’t the same as learning English.

Meanwhile, English language teachers have deep expertise isolated inside one department. But the whole school doesn’t benefit from what they know:

  • What your specialists know doesn’t make it past their classroom door.
  • Professional learning is a box to check instead of a skill to share.
  • Strong practices vary classroom to classroom, within the same school.

Why SWEL?

Benefits for ESL Teachers

  • Develop enhanced expertise in non-evaluative peer instructional coaching and delivery of professional development to groups that is customized to local needs and supports general education teacher colleagues in feeling more prepared to meet the needs of their language learners.
  • Choose from a variety of prepared and flexible professional development materials.
  • Create a plan of action for your responsibilities related to supporting general education colleagues in their work with language learners.
  • Gain confidence in your expertise related to second language acquisition.
  • Ensure support for language learners throughout the school day, not just when you are able to work directly with your students.

Additional Benefits for General Education Teachers

For their time and effort, general education teachers will gain the following:

  • Non-evaluative, coaching observations designed to help general education teachers to set their own learning goals related to working with language learners.
  • Participation in language learner-focused professional development and coaching conversations through collaboration with a SWEL coach.
  • Ongoing access to a building-level SWEL coach.

Audience

The SWEL framework is intended for multiple audiences, including ESL teachers, administrators, and general education teachers.

 

SWEL Certificate Workshop Series  

ESL teachers are the primary audience for the SWEL Certificate Workshop Series, with special sessions that include their school administrators. ESL teachers who complete all three SWEL certificate workshops earn a TESOL certificate and digital badge.

The certificate series consists of three workshops, including: 

WORKSHOP 1 WORKSHOP 2 WORKSHOP 3
SWEL Contextual Language Workshop SWEL Professional Development Workshop SWEL Coaching Workshop and Administrators’ Workshop

SWEL Extensions 

SWEL Teacher Leader Professional Learning Community: ESL teachers who have completed the SWEL certificate workshop series participate in this ongoing professional development, which is designed to support the non-evaluative peer coaching and professional development work they are doing in their schools.

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