English learners are required to take state standardized assessments that measure their progress in reading, math and other subjects, but must also take annual English language proficiency exams to track their progress in learning and mastering English. These exams are used to inform state accountability systems that are designed to identify gaps in performance and schools in need of additional support in effectively serving ELs. In order to better serve ELs, states, school districts and schools need a strong understanding of how to interpret and understand EL data, which includes identification, reclassification, and performance on national and state standardized assessments. The resources included here offer an overview of key policies at the federal and state level and essential considerations for designing data systems to capture the performance and growth of EL students. Read more

Janie Tankard Carnock, June 27th, 2018

In recent years, public leaders have increasingly sought to invest in our nation’s youngest learners. Funding for early care and education (ECE) for children ages 0-5 has grown substantially, along with federal dollars for Head Start and child care subsidies. At the same time, another figure is rising: the number of young children learning English while developing another language at home. This report explores how state leaders can build data systems that more fully account for young DLLs and their distinct needs.

Janie Tankard Carnock, August 16, 2017

Nearly one-third of children in the United States live in a household where a language other than English is spoken. Across diverse geographic and political contexts, schools play a critical role in integrating these students into American society, equipping them with English mastery for strong college and career outcomes. Understanding and drawing inferences from EL data is complicated for a variety of reasons. This report offers a framework of five corrective lenses that are critical for viewing this population accurately.

English learners represent a growing segment of the U.S. student population. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of EL students grew by roughly 28 percent across the country. While ELs have historically had sizable populations in major settlement states, like California and Texas, new parts of the country saw triple-digit increases in the number of ELs during this time. This growing share of students is a diverse group with varied native languages, educational experiences, and socio-economic backgrounds. Collecting and reporting data on ELs has long been challenging, but understanding the demographic profiles of ELs is important for understanding how to best address their needs. Read more

High-quality early learning experiences provide young children with a foundation for life-long learning. Research demonstrates that young English learners (also referred to as dual language learners) language acquisition, early literacy, and early numeracy are strengthened from participation in early learning programs such as Head Start. Yet, EL participation in early childhood education often lags behind other groups and few state-funded programs (e.g. home visiting, public pre-K) include an explicit focus on recruiting and serving EL children. The resources included here provide a window into how localities are designing programs with the needs of ELs in mind and on research highlighting the value of early learning for these children and their families.

Laura Bornfreund, Elise Franchino, Amaya Garcia, Lisa Guernsey, Abbie Lieberman, Aaron Loewenberg, Cara Sklar, February 19th, 2020

Over the last decade, there has been increased attention on early education, but real progress for children and families has remained out of reach. We want America’s children to become lifelong learners who are able to think critically and inventively, manage their emotions and impulses, and make smart decisions by drawing upon a rich knowledge base about how the world works. To make this goal a reality for all children, New America makes eight recommendations, suggests specific actions, and pinpoints which actors—federal, state, and local policymakers, as well as educators and administrators—should help move the work forward.

Janie Tankard Carnock, June 27th, 2018

In recent years, public leaders have increasingly sought to invest in our nation’s youngest learners. Funding for early care and education (ECE) for children ages 0-5 has grown substantially, along with federal dollars for Head Start and child care subsidies. At the same time, another figure is rising: the number of young children learning English while developing another language at home. This report explores how state leaders can build data systems that more fully account for young DLLs and their distinct needs.

Amaya Garcia and Conor Williams, October 30, 2015

In recent years, Washington DC has seen increases in their EL student population. These changes are prompting local school districts to reimagine and redesign their approaches to serving these students. This report examines how D.C.’s experience with reforms, such as universal pre-K and school choice, have impacted the educational experiences of the city's growing EL student population.

Conor P. Williams, Jan. 1, 2013

San Antonio, Texas is ahead of most other cities in designing and implementing reforms and strategies to support the academic and linguistic development of their dual language learners. This report examines the history, design, implementation and effectiveness of three essential initiatives that the city has adopted in order to better support its DLLs.

A Model for Bilingual Teaching – Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL)

June 11, 2019

This video highlights the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) model of professional development, with a a focus on how teachers can support bilingualism.

How Educators in Fresno Are Working Together to Support Young, Dual Language Learners

January 30, 2017

This video showcases how the Fresno Language Project is adapting national models of best practices to improve outcomes for young dual language learners across their community.

Teachers of English learners must be adequately equipped to instruct learners who need to master English while also meeting the same academic content achievement standards all students must meet. To prepare this workforce, educator preparation and professional development must include a focus on working with ELs and strategies for adapting instruction in service of ELs. Research is clear that ELs perform best in settings that support their home languages—states and districts are also investing in preparing more bilingual educators through a variety of pathways. These resources offer a look at locally developed programs that aim to better prepare teachers to meet the needs of EL students and their families. Read more

Amaya Garcia, Roxanne Garza, October 28th, 2019

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is in the midst of a teacher shortage crisis. At the same time, the district is looking for ways to increase the racial and linguistic diversity of the educator workforce. A new bilingual teacher residency program is attempting to help close these gaps and ease current shortages by recruiting from within and tapping paraeducators who show promise and interest in becoming licensed teachers. This paper explores how CPS designed and implemented the program in partnership with National Louis University and the National Center for Teacher Residencies.

Kaylan Connally, Amaya Garcia, Shayna Cook, and Conor P. Williams, January 12, 2017

Multilingual paraprofessionals represent an untapped pool of potential teacher talent. Approximately one in five paraprofessionals speaks a language other than English at home. Furthermore, paraprofessionals often have the linguistic and cultural competence schools need and significant experience instructing and supporting students. Yet, they often face significant bureaucratic, linguistic and financial barriers to entering the teaching profession. This paper highlights these barriers using data from focus groups conducted with multilingual paraprofessionals in five cities.

Amaya Garcia, September 20, 2017

Highline Public Schools has set an ambitious goal: for every student to graduate bilingual and biliterate. To help accomplish this goal, the district is investing in developing bilingual teachers from within. This report explores the district's partnership with Western Washington University to recruit and prepare bilingual paraeducators to become teachers.

Professional Development for Teachers of English Learners: The Internationals Approach

March 2, 2020

This video explores the professional development and instructional model utilized by the Internationals Network for Public Schools to prepare teachers to work with newcomer, refugee and recently arrived immigrant students.

A Model for Bilingual Teaching – Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL)

June 11, 2019

This video highlights the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) model of professional development, with a focus on how teachers can support bilingualism.

How Educators in Fresno Are Working Together to Support Young, Dual Language Learners

January 30, 2017

This video showcases how the Fresno Language Project is adapting national models of best practices to improve outcomes for young dual language learners across their community.

Research points to the importance of family engagement for a range of student outcomes. Unfortunately, there are linguistic, cultural and socioeconomic barriers that have made it challenging for schools to fully engage with the families of their English learner students. To help meet the need, schools can deploy bilingual staff, rethink the traditional approaches to family communication and implement targeted programs. These resources provide examples of the range of strategies schools and districts are using to engage and support EL students and their families.

• Engaging Parents of English Learners
• Opening the Door to Parent Engagement
• Bridging Language and Culture for Family Engagement
• Supporting Immigrant Families Through Community Partnerships in Lincoln, Nebraska
• How Omaha Public Schools is Weaving Together Resources for Immigrant and Refugee Families

English learners are protected under a variety of federal laws that mandate the services that states and districts are legally obligated to provide. Most recently, the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) required that EL students be included in state accountability systems that dictate school improvement efforts. At the state level, local jurisdictions have set policies related to EL instruction (e.g. bilingual mandates, dual language immersion initiatives), data reporting, teacher qualifications, family engagement and more. The following resources offer deep dives into state policy, analysis of federal policy and overviews of how districts are responding to these policies. Read more

Janie Tankard Carnock, Elena Silva, July 30th, 2019

This report provides an overview of the separate but intersecting federal policies that govern the identification of and services provided to English learners and students with disabilities. This overview will frame key opportunities to serve ELs with disabilities more equitably with the aim of helping policymakers, advocates, and practitioners take more strategic action on behalf of these students.

English learners have unique educational needs that are often supplemented with specialized instruction from teachers trained to support language acquisition. The federal government provides EL funding to states through Title III of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In addition, 48 states and the District of Columbia provide extra funding for ELs through funding formulas, block grants or reimbursements. Read more

Clare McCann and Jessica Bowen, November 26, 2014

English learners make up a sizeable—and growing—portion of the student population. Yet the federal role in helping states and school districts to teach and support those students remains rather limited. Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is the primary federal funding source for EL education and is largely inadequate to the need. This issue brief seeks to demystify the funding structure for Title III dollars by highlighting the history of financing for that program and how those funds are distributed to states and localities.

One of the most important school factors impacting English learners is the educational model through which they are instructed. The ways ELs are taught also impact their home language skills and content knowledge. The resources included here provide a look at the variety of instructional models being leveraged to serve EL students. Read more

Amaya Garcia, October 25, 2017

California is on the cusp of a potential resurgence in bilingual education thanks to the recent passage of Proposition 58, which scales back components of the state’s English-only law and provides districts with greater flexibility in providing bilingual instruction for all students. This paper explores Westminster’s process in designing and implementing two distinct dual language immersion programs in the span of two years.

Amaya Garcia and Janie Tankard Carnock, October 18, 2016

In the past two decades, the number of English Learners in Harrisonburg grew from 10 percent of all K–12 students to a high of 41 percent. These children represent 51 home languages and 46 different countries. This paper explores Harrisonburg City Public Schools comprehensive system of instructional programs, social-emotional supports, and family engagement strategies targeted to meet the needs of its EL students.

Conor P. Williams and Amaya Garcia October 30, 2015

Early education investments, family engagement efforts and focus on students’ oral language development are building a strong foundation for dual language learners’ success in Portland’s David Douglas School District. This report tracks the variety of policies that helped make David Douglas one of just eight Oregon districts to meet state and federal expectations for ELs’ progress and proficiency in 2014.

Professional Development for Teachers of English Learners: The Internationals Approach

March 2, 2020

This video explores the professional development and instructional model utilized by the Internationals Network for Public Schools to prepare teachers to work with newcomer, refugee and recently arrived immigrant students.

A Model for Bilingual Teaching – Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL)

June 11, 2019

This video highlights the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) model of professional development, with a focus on how teachers can support bilingualism.

How Educators in Fresno Are Working Together to Support Young, Dual Language Learners

January 30, 2017

This video showcases how the Fresno Language Project is adapting national models of best practices to improve outcomes for young dual language learners across their community.

Ideally, policy and practice are informed by rigorous research that aims to strengthen our understanding of how ELs learn best. Over the past five years, we have seen more research confirming the efficacy of dual language immersion programs for supporting ELs’ academic and linguistic growth, reaffirming that parents should continue to speak in their home languages with their children, and spotlighting effective strategies for enhancing ELs’ english language development. Yet, many studies are tucked away in academic journals and written for academic audiences. The resources included here aim to translate academic research and offer strategies for connecting research, policy and practice.

For a comprehensive examination of research on ELs, please see the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine consensus report Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures.

The federal government sets laws that mandate state and district's obligations to educating English learners and provides supplemental funding to support those efforts. States have wide discretion to set their own policies regarding the instructional models used, the process for identifying and exiting EL students, data reporting, and teacher preparation to work with ELs. The resources included here highlight a variety of state laws and policies that are impacting the educational experiences of English learners. Read more

Amaya Garcia, November 8, 2017

In 1998, California voters approved Proposition 227, a ballot initiative that effectively eliminated bilingual instruction in favor of English-only approaches. Over the next decade, bilingual education was eroded through sharp declines in programs and in bilingually certified teachers. But, just as the state was moving away from bilingual education, one school district in Southern California was taking a decidedly different approach. This paper explores how Chula Vista scaled up dual language immersion programs during a time of English-only policies.

Janie Tankard Carnock, August 16, 2017

In June 2015, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed House Bill 3499 for English learner students into law, describing it as a “watershed moment” in the state’s educational system. The law broke new ground for how to use data to identify and support the lowest-performing districts for ELs across the state. Critically, it came with a dedicated, permanent funding stream: $12.5 million every two years. In the years since its passage, the law has triggered an important sequence of actions. Oregon provides an illustration of what it can look like to apply key principles related to EL data to concrete policy reforms.

Janie Tankard Carnock, November 3, 2016

Around 30 percent of families across New York State now speak a language other than English at home, resulting in 240,000 English learners in the state’s primary and secondary schools who speak nearly 200 different languages. New York State has redesigned their policies and practices to better support the education of its long-established, yet still growing multilingual population. This report highlights both the bright spots and the emerging challenges of New York’s EL reforms by charting their inception, design and early implementation.