META 27: Celebrating Creativity & Community

Join Dr. Pedro Noguera, and other powerful speakers and presenters for two days of incredible learning, inspiration, and collaboration! Maximizing Multilingual Excellence through a Pedagogy of Possibility, sponsored by Multilingual Educators Transforming Achievement (META) Welcome to the META Conference! Join us for two days filled with insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and engaging sessions. This in-person event will be held at the San Joaquín County Office of Education - Teachers College of San Joaquín. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting in the field of education, this conference is perfect for anyone looking to expand their knowledge and connect with like-minded individuals. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn, grow, and have fun! HIGHLIGHTS FRIDAY CONFERENCE PROGRAM FRIDAY INSTITUTE • 2/12 • 9:00 A.M. - 2:30 P.M. DESIGNING GRADUATE PORTRAITS THAT CENTER MULTILINGUALISM SPEAKERS TBD Participants in this institute will learn about learner/graduate portraits and explore the implications of the recent State Board of Education action to adopt a California portrait of a graduate that calls out multilingual learner as one of its key elements. The institute will focus on how leaders can incorporate multilingualism as a core element in their district or school learner or graduate portraits, and how to move their portraits from poster to practice. FRIDAY INSTITUTE • 2/12 • 9:00 A.M. - 2:30 P.M. ¡INTRODUCING MAX BILINGÜE! Jesús Cervantes, National Director for Biliteracy/ELD, Benchmark Education Participants will be part of the Central Valley launch of Benchmark’s MAX Bilingüe, an innovative integrated hybrid learning and biliteracy program tailored for dual-language and bilingual classrooms. Designed to support multilingual learners, bilingualism, and the foundations of biliteracy, it integrates with core literacy frameworks, focusing on cross-linguistic transfer, oracy, and comprehensive reading skills. This orientation will position participants to knowledgeably explore the advantages of this new program. Opening Session • 2/12 • 3:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M. Speaker: Dr. Pedro A. Noguera Dean of the Rossier School of Education and a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Southern California. President's Reception • 2/12 • 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M. This President's Reception is open to all registered attendees and provides an opportuity for attendees to meet and mingle with the conference speakers and presenters. Wine and appetizers will be served. SATURDAY CONFERENCE PROGRAM The Saturday conference program will include keynote speakers to open and close the sessions, a student speaker during the lunch session, and a variety of workshops featuring local and statewide experts and practitioners, as well as two FEATURED SPEAKER SESSIONS. Opening Session • 2/13 •8:30 A.M. - 9:30 A.M. Speaker: Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (Virtual) Cochair of the California State Board of Education, is Chief Knowledge Officer at LPI, having served as its founding President and CEO from 2015 to 2025. FEATURED SESSIONS • 2/13 • 9:40 A.M. - 10:50 A.M. ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT Dr. Kate Kinsella, Author & Researcher This session focuses on research-informed writing instruction imperatives for educators serving Emergent Multilingual Learners, including a student-friendly scoring guide for major assignments, targeted lessons on language and organizational devices for specific writing types, explicit analysis of an appropriate writing model, and frequent doses of brief, interactive, teacher-mediated writing practice to build critical competencies for longer assignments. Participants leave with classroom-tested resources to facilitate professional learning and classroom implementation. FEATURED SESSIONS • 2/13 • 9:40 A.M. - 10:50 A.M. BUILDING BILITERACY: DYNAMICS OF CROSSLINGUISTIC INSTRUCTION Silvia Dorta Duque De Reyes, National Biliteracy Leader Explicit crosslinguistic instruction is a research-based, asset-driven approach to biliteracy that fosters high levels of language proficiency in both English and students' home language. By intentionally bridging linguistic and cultural knowledge, this innovative pedagogy accelerates language development and supports equitable access to grade-level content. During this interactive session, we will explore practical strategies and instructional sequences that build oracy, vocabulary, and foundational literacy skills across English and Spanish in ways that promote academic achievement and affirm the value of biliteracy. SATURDAY STUDENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE • 2/13 • 8:30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M. This institute will focus on engaging high school young women in building their leadership around multilingualism and advocacy as a path to growing their own identities and capacities. Save Now with Early Bird (EB) Registration! Get a discounted rate by registering early. For detailed pricing and registration information, please visit the Tickets section. HOTEL INFORMATION Join Us for the Conference – Book Your Stay Today! Hampton Inn Address: 3651 Arch Road • Stockton, CA Phone: 209-659-6596 We are still negotiating with the Hampton Inn to secure a discounted rate. When that becomes available, we will post the booking link. *Breakfast and lunch will be provided on both days. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION For further details, please contact us at [email protected] or visit our website: https://metacabe.org.