Keynote Speakers

Dr. Wayne E. Wright is the Associate Dean for Research, Graduate Programs, and Faculty Development and the Barbara I. Cook Chair of Literacy and Language with a focus on English language learning in the College of Education at Purdue University. He has worked as a teacher educator in California, Arizona, Texas, and Indiana, and has provided workshops and other professional development training for educators across the United States and around the world. He has been co-principal investigator on $9M in federal grants focused on improving ELL and bilingual education for multilingual learners. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Cambodia, and was ESL and bilingual teacher in Long Beach, California, where he helped establish one of the first Cambodian bilingual programs in the country.

Dr. Wright is the author of over 100 research articles and books on language and education policy and practice. He currently serves as the Co-Editor (with Hyun-Sook Kang) of the Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, Editor of the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, and Co-Editor (with Nancy Hornberger) of Multilingual Matters’ Bilingual Education and Bilingualism book series. His recent books include Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research Theory, Policy, and Practice (2025, 4th ed.), Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (with Colin Baker, 2025, 8th ed.), Innovating the TESOL Practicum in Teacher Education: Design, Implementation, and Pedagogy in an Era of Change (with Chang Pu, 2022), and the Handbook of Bilingual and Multilingual Education (with Sovicheth Boun and Ofelia Garcia, 2015). He is the recipient of several honors and awards, including the James E. Alatis Prize for Research on Language Planning and Policy in Educational Contexts (2023) and the Charles A. Ferguson Award for Outstanding Scholarship (2016).

Presentation Title: Foundations for Teaching ELL-Classified Students

In this presentation, Dr. Wayne E. Wright will draw from the new 4th Edition of his bestselling book, Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice (2025, Brookes Publishing), which has been a key text for training mainstream, ESL and bilingual teachers and providing support and guidance for education programs for multilingual learners classified as ELLs across the United States. In particular, this presentation will focus on the most recent research and policy developments in the field, and their implications for providing effective practices for ELL-classified students. We will first explore our current understandings of second language teaching and learning. Next, we will consider recent federal and state policy shifts in the United States surrounding the Every Student Succeeds Act, reversal of state restrictions on bilingual education, and the expansion of the Seal of Biliteracy, along with important considerations for oral language and literacy development for ELL-classified students within the “Science of Reading.” We conclude with a focus on effective classroom assessment and instruction practices for ELL-classified students.

Bilingual Cross-Cultural Education and Biliteracy Specialist, National EL Program Consultant, Policy Advisor and Author

Founder, New Horizons In Education-EduTrainers

www.nhie.net

Jo grew up in a Spanish-speaking family that faced the many obstacles that farm working, non-English speaking families experience. As a “limited English speaker,” during her childhood, she became the first in her family to learn English, but even so she found herself excluded in school because she spoke Spanish, educators and students did not value or understand her culture, and also due to her family’s socioeconomic status. As a result, Jo truly understands the complexities and multiple variables that surround your Culturally and Linguistically Diverse learners and their families. While some people view cultural and linguistic differences as deficits, Jo sees them as asset-based superpowers. She proudly tells fellow educators, students and policy makers, “I, like your students, am a Bilingual-Biliterate-Bicultural-Bicognitive learner. These superpowers serve as my foundation, and they influence and inform my message, methods and materials.”

Jo’s parents instilled in her the guiding principle to always be of service – para servir. Because of her background and parents’ guiding principle, she is committed to be of service to all who attend her professional learning experiences, participate in personalized coaching sessions, and seek her counsel.

Teaching Experience

Jo began her teaching career as a Bilingual Education instructional assistant. She then served as a K-12 Bilingual Education teacher, Multilingual Cross-Cultural Education Specialist, and Biliteracy Reading Instruction Specialist. In 1981, Jo’s career led her to the nationally known Newcomer School, where she worked in a multilingual setting with refugee and immigrant Emergent Biliterate Multilingual Learners. While there Jo developed her many Brain-Based Language and Literacy Strategies™. She also served as a Master Teacher for Phase 1, 2 and 3 student teachers attending California State University, Sacramento, California State University, Chico, the University of California, Davis, and National University.

Because of her curriculum development expertise, neuroscience-based language acquisition and biliteracy teaching methods, and state and federal categorical program policy knowledge, Jo was asked to teach at California State University, Sacramento in the Multilingual Multicultural

Teacher Education Department. Jo taught Introduction to Bilingual Education, Principles of Curriculum, and Language and Biliteracy, and also supervised student teachers for 20 years.

Jo was asked to join the Multiple Intelligences Institute at the University of California, Riverside, as an instructor and Board member. She served in these roles for 10 years.

New Horizons In Education-EduTrainers

Jo is the founder of New Horizons In Education-EduTrainers, an education consulting company dedicated to assisting school districts and businesses to design and implement highly effective language and literacy programs for culturally and linguistically diverse learners and their families. Currently, Jo conducts workshops in Foundation-Frameworks-Tools School Improvement and Transformation Coaching©, Review-Recommendations-Results EL Program Quality Review©, ESSA implementation technical support, Biliteracy, English Language Development, and Mind-Brain-Education Science. Administrators, teachers, students, parents and policymakers throughout the world seek Jo’s counsel and insights. Her workshops are fast-moving, energetic, and focus on scores of Integrity and Evidence-Based Practices and Materials© that participants can use immediately.

Presentation Title: Unlock Reading Success for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners: Principles, Policies, Procedures, and Practices

What does the most current neuroscience, biliteracy, and translanguaging research say about teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) learners how to read? What are the factors that facilitate and roadblocks that inhibit Emergent Bilingual (EB) students from learning how to read in English? How can the sciences that serve as the foundation for Lau vs. Nichols, Castañeda vs. Pickard, and the English ELA/ELD Framework influence and inform effective reading instruction for superdiverse multilingual and emergent bilingual learners? What must a school district do prior to implementing reading education initiatives, directives, processes, procedures, professional development, and programs? Using Federal and State Categorical program guidelines, Mind-Brain-Health-Education Science (MBHE) principles, neurobiology of bilingualism and biliteracy research, and four decades of experience teaching culturally and linguistically diverse learners as her foundation, Jo Gusman will answer these questions and share integrity based, innovative, and effective language and biliteracy curriculum and instruction frameworks, processes, and strategies for enhancing ELA/Reading instruction of Multilingual/Emergent Bilingual learners at all levels of English language proficiency.