Hudson Valley RBERN Update

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Resources

WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual updated for 2026-2027

The 2026-2027 Accessibility and Accommodations Manual is now available on the Resources/Recursos page on the WIDA website. This year’s updates include:

  • Two new accommodations: Assistive Technology (AT) and Speech-to-Text (STT). These new accommodations apply to WIDA ACCESS Online and WIDA Screener Online.

  • Updates for existing accommodations:

  • Manual Control of Item Audio (MC) will now apply to WIDA ACCESS Paper, WIDA ACCESS Braille and WIDA Screener Paper only. All students taking WIDA ACCESS Online or WIDA Screener Online have access to the Play button and must manually select it to begin the screen audio.

  • WIDA Screener Paper and WIDA Screener for Kindergarten are now available in large print format in the WIDA Store. The Large Print (LP) accommodation section of the Accessibility and Accommodations Manual now includes these assessments.

WIDA Accommodations Checklists have also been updated for 2026-2027. These checklists can be used to track the accommodations a student receives for WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Screener. Find them on the Resources/Recursos page of the WIDA website.

Read about accessibility updates for 2026-2027 on the WIDA website to learn more about this year’s changes.

Career Opportunities

Ossining UFSD

Please contact the HV RBERN for support or with any questions you may have.

2026 HV RBERN Conference Call for Proposals

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Connecting Initiatives to Outcomes: Supporting Multilingual Learners through Innovative Practices

CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS

Submission Deadline: September 11, 2026
Conference Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Location: Manhattanville University, 2900 Purchase St, Purchase, NY 10577

The Hudson Valley RBERN is pleased to announce we are holding a conference for educators of ELLs on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The conference theme is Connecting Initiatives to Outcomes: Supporting Multilingual Learners through Innovative Practices.

We invite Hudson Valley educators of ELLs to submit proposals for workshop sessions to highlight the educational expertise and innovation happening in our classrooms and schools. Workshop session proposals should be submitted no later than September 11, 2026. Click the link for the proposal form.

Proposal Form

Please contact the HV RBERN for support or with any questions you may have.

Hudson Valley RBERN Update

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HV RBERN Professional Learning Opportunities

Hudson Valley RBERN, in partnership with SupportEd, LLC

One-Hour On-Demand Virtual Asynchronous Courses To Support Multilingual Learners - May 21, 2026 through June 30, 2026

The Hudson Valley RBERN, in partnership with SupportEd, LLC, is offering seven (7) asynchronous virtual courses designed to strengthen instructional practices for multilingual learner (ML) students.

Grounded in proven, research-based practices, participants will engage with tools and strategies designed to strengthen instruction for ML students through interactive activities, reflection questions, and authentic classroom examples.

Each asynchronous course includes a certificate for one (1) hour of professional development upon completion.

Each registrant is eligible for one free course.

The following on-demand courses are available:

  • Effective Instruction of ML Newcomer Students

  • Effective Programming for SLIFE and ML Newcomers

  • Formative Assessment for MLs

  • Scaffolding Content Instruction for MLs

  • Scaffolding Content Instruction for MLs for Special Area Teachers

  • Strengthening Access and Engagement for MLs in CTE Programs

  • Working with Paraprofessionals to Support MLs

Register

Other Professional Learning Opportunities

New York State Education Department

Enacting the New York State Culture Standards

NYSED OBEWL is sponsoring a two-day, in-person workshop in each of the nine regions in New York State to support NYS world language educators to understand how to enact Standards 4 and 5 (Relating Cultural Products and Practices to Cultural Perspectives, Cultural Comparison). All workshops will run from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM with a one-hour lunch on your own. The workshop description for each day, as well as the locations and dates are listed on the summer workshops website. Participants must commit to attending both days in full. 8 hours of CTLE credit are offered. There is a minimum enrollment for each region, so please consider joining them. If a venue doesn’t have enough enrollees by June 15th, they will combine that location with the next closest location. Anyone impacted by any change would be notified to see if the change will work for them.

Flyer

2026-2027 Statewide Book Study on Teaching Intercultural Citizenship Across the Curriculum: The Role of Language Education

This statewide book study will be offered by NYS teacher teams who were trained this year by Dr. Manuela Wagner, one of the co-authors, and Lea Graner-Kennedy. All of the information you need on this book study can be found on its website. Book study groups will meet monthly from October-June from 3:45-5:00 PM via Zoom. To earn credit for this book study, participants must attend at least seven of the eight meetings in full. Attendees will be sent a hardcopy book at no charge prior to the first meeting. Participants must have a reliable internet connection, a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet with a functioning webcam and microphone, as well as a suitable, distraction-free environment in which to participate in the book study. Because of the interactive nature of this facilitator book study, participants will not have the option of joining the meetings using a smartphone. There is no cost to participate in this book study.

Flyer

Other professional learning opportunities from OBEWL partners:

  • The NYSAFLT Summer Institute will be held as a virtual event from August 3-6th. The theme is: The Power of Language: Representation in Every Voice, Amplifying Stories, Empowering Speakers. You can register for the whole institute or for just the workshops you want to attend using their online registration form. For more information, please visit their website.

  • New York University’s Steinhardt School of culture, Education and Human Development will once again offer their Summer Institutes for Teachers of World Languages. There is Foundations for Creating Authentic Contexts to Implement the NYS WL Standards (July 14 & 15), Tuesday-Wednesday, 9:00-2:00 PM and Next Steps: Approaches and Strategies for Teaching and Learning Grammar and Culture (July 16 & 17) Thursday-Friday, 9:00-2:00 PM. The Institutes are offered remotely, and Teachers of World Languages are eligible to apply for either or both Institutes. The deadline to apply is today (June 1st) using the following link.

Resources

New York State Education Department

WIDA ACCESS Administration Window for the 2026-2027 School Year

Career Opportunities

Ossining UFSD

Please contact the HV RBERN for support or with any questions you may have.