Accessing Language Through Science and Mathematics Content
This strand will feature expert practitioners, researchers, informal science educators, and educational leaders who will share successful practices, conceptual and practical frameworks, and proven models for improving literacy achievement through science and mathematics. Sessions will focus on the contextualized use of academic language and include strategies for improving reading comprehension, writing, and scientific discourse. Strategies should be inclusive of all students, including advanced learners, English language learners, special needs students, and students that are economically disadvantaged. Accessing language through science and mathematics can also occur outside classrooms through informal settings such as science museums and after-school, Saturday, and summer enrichment and recreation programs.

Goals
To provide workshops and presentations focusing on one or more of the following:
? Current research and model programs on why teaching science and mathematics effectively to all student subgroups helps to close the achievement gap and promote educational equity.
? Research-based strategies for, and classroom applications of, the use of notebooks/journals in science and math classrooms.
? The identification and use of appropriate differentiated instructional strategies for developing academic language and literacy in science and mathematics programs.
? The identification and use of effective strategies to modify instruction and make science and mathematics accessible to, and exciting for, EL students.

Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated on the extent that they:
? Present or model the integration of appropriate strategies for developing academic language and literacy in science and/or mathematics programs.
? Present or model the integration of appropriate English language learner (ELL) standards with science and/or mathematics standards.
? Align with one or more strand goals.
? Align with state and national science standards (NSES and Benchmarks).
? Are based on current and available research and issues in science and English language acquisition.
? Involve participants through activities and/or discussion.