This paper looks at the next 25 years of education and policy making regarding students classified as English learners (EL). Given the strong research evidence on the benefits of bilingual education and need to address barriers to opportunity experienced by English learners, this paper strengthens the case for federal, state and local education policy and action that looks toward the implementation of bilingual education as the standard service--rather than exception--for EL-classified students.
With the increased number of English learners (ELs) participating in large-scale state testing, there has been an increased focus on fairness in testing for these students. Test accommodations have shown promise in eliminating barriers and improving accessibility, and computer-based testing (CBT) allows individual customization of tests with built-in accessibility features. Most research on testing accommodations focuses on paper-based tests, but CBT is the most predominant mode of delivering large-scale state assessments.
This article addresses the customary practice of delaying teaching of writing for Beginner English Learners (BELs) which often results in slowing writing development. Barriers preventing teachers from earlier writing instruction include a belief BELs cannot produce written English before learned orally first, a lack of teaching writing know-how, and few level-appropriate materials for older BELs.
This podcast by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) features Maha Abdelkader, Education Program Specialist from OELA, Roger Rosenthal, attorney with the Migrant Legal Action Program and Lissette Colon Collins, Assistant Superindendant for Language Acquisition Funded Programs, School Improvement, and the Arts at Yonkers Public Schools. The panelists discuss the important topic of how U.S. schools can provide English learners with meaningful access to core curricular and extracurricular programs.
Using data from the First 5 California DLL Pilot Study, this brief presents a snapshot of the family engagement strategies used in early learning and care programs serving infant, toddler, and preschool-age DLLs across the state.
This guide is designed to help district and school site leaders assess the professional learning needs of elementary school teachers to implement research-based recommendations for the instruction of English learner students. It comprises two tools the Teacher Self-Reflection Tool and the Classroom Observation Tooland outlines a 10-step process to help districts align their professional learning decisions with the data collected from these tools.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, immigrant and linguistically diverse families have both borne the brunt of America's job losses and are overrepresented in professions that are considered essential to the country's response and recovery. Children in these households have experienced increased economic and food insecurity, instability in their child care, and trauma.
This article addresses the inclusion of English learners with disabilities, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, in state and district assessments. The authors provide background information on who these students are and the relationship between academic English language development, content learning, and assessment.