An important topic in English learner (EL) education is how ELs who are students with interrupted formal education, or SIFE, often face many serious challenges when attending school in the United States. Their educators also often encounter difficulties in meeting SIFE's needs. Supporting ELs with Interrupted Formal Education: Research and Practices from the Field is a two-part discussion hosted by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA).
In part one, Francisco Lopez, an Education Program Specialist from OELA, speaks with Dr. Margarita Calderon, professor Emerita at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Calderon describes her research on ELs who are SIFE and provides information to educators on research-based best practices for supporting this population of students.