A report from the Education Commission of the States offers policy recommendations that it says states and the federal government can adopt to improve the academic performance of English-language learners.
The report lists proposed changes in five areas: finance; student identification and reclassification; educator quality; prekindergarten services; and parent and family engagement. The commission compiled the report with input from some of the nation’s leading language-learner experts and advocates.
It encourages states to dedicate funds to track the academic progress of former English-learners and prohibit schools and districts from diverting ELL funding into general budgets. It also advises against relying solely on Title III, the provision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that sets aside money for English-language acquisition, to pay for the education of ELLs.
