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The School L.I.F.E. Project

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The School L.I.F.E. Project in Philadelphia

The School L.I.F.E. approach is grounded in research demonstrating that the academic performance of multilingual learners of English improves when: (1) school leaders have the knowledge and skills to create optimal, research-based learning environments for multilingual children, (2) teachers are equipped with evidence-based instructional strategies, and (3) families are actively and intentionally engaged in all aspects of the school.

In Philadelphia, three important groups are collaborating to support multilingual learners of English.

Leadership Teams

Participating schools have a “Leadership Team” comprised of a principal or assistant principal, a certified English as a Second Language specialist and a school-family liaison.

The leadership teams: 

  • Participate in a two-year professional development program in coordination with an aligned teacher professional development program and family programming.

  • Engage in a series of graduate-level professional development workshops on assessing and revising the school’s climate and culture, instructional practices and family engagement.

  • Receive tools and resources to support school-wide improvement, including a researcher-designed comprehensive tool for assessing school-wide practices, envisioning and planning change, and tracking progress; and a professionally-produced podcast series on cutting-edge research on multilingual learners of English.

  • Receive on-site support to address individual school needs and interests.

In-service and Pre-service Teachers (The Philadelphia Dual Pathway Model)

The project pairs pre-service undergraduate students and in-service mentor teachers. Both groups receive synchronized and aligned professional development to support high-quality practices for multilingual learners of English. 

Pre-service teachers are enrolled in the Early Childhood Education Program/ESL Dual Certification Program.
Through the School L.I.F.E. Project, Temple University early childhood education (ECE) students: 

  • Are eligible for a scholarship to earn the Pennsylvania English as a Second Language (ESL) Program Specialist Certificate. The students receive a subsidized residence in one of the project's partner schools and tuition remission for two core ESL certificate courses.

  • Engage in a series of professional development workshops synchronized and content-aligned with their matched in-service mentor teachers.

  • Work with an on-site, highly qualified instructional coach.

In-service teachers who participate in the School L.I.F.E. Project:

  • Receive Act 48 credit.

  • Engage in a series of professional development workshops synchronized and content-aligned with their matched pre-service mentee.

  • Work with an on-site, highly qualified instructional coach.

  • Attend a summer institute on serving as mentors to the pre-service teachers.

Families and Caregivers

Family Literacy Programming for Multilingual Families
The project is partnered with The Children’s Literacy Initiative to provide families and caregivers with a literacy program, in people’s home languages, that promotes biliteracy, multiliteracies (i.e., the wide variety of literacies people practice) and home-school connections. 

Bilingual paraprofessionals receive: 

  • Training, materials and resources to deliver family literacy programming in families’ home languages .

  • Coaching and logistical support.

Families receive: 

  • Monthly virtual or in-person family literacy workshops, led by bilingual paraprofessionals, in their home languages. 

  • Picture and chapter books in their home language to support their use of the strategies learned in workshops.

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