About our authors MaryEllen Vogt, EdD, is Professor Emerita, California State University, Long Beach. She earned her doctorate in Language and Literacy from the University of California, Berkeley. She is the author/coauthor of numerous articles, chapters, and books, including literacy texts and those in the SIOP series. While at CSULB, she served as codirector of the CSU Center for the Advancement of Reading. Dr. Vogt has provided professional development throughout the U.S. and in several countries, and she served as Visiting Scholar at the University of Cologne, Germany. She is a member of California's Reading Hall of Fame, is a recipient of CSULB's Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, was president of the International Literacy Association and she has been inducted into the International Reading Hall of Fame, an organization of literacy researchers and scholars. Jana Echevarria, PhD, is professor emerita at California State University, Long Beach, where she received the university's Outstanding Professor award. A founding researcher and creator of the SIOP Model, Dr. Echevarria has published widely on effective instruction for English learners, including those with learning disabilities. She has presented her research in the U.S. and internationally, including South East Europe University (Macedonia) where she was a Fulbright Specialist. Dr. Echevarria received her PhD from UCLA and is a member of the California Reading Hall of Fame. She serves as an expert on English learners for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. Follow her blog about English learners at janaechevarria.com.