From an Education Week examination of Florida’s push for an Every Student Succeeds Act waiver to a look at efforts to improve teacher training in California, journalists and advocacy groups across the country have produced timely and informative work on English-language learners and the people who serve them.
We’ve provided links to some of the highlights below for time-crunched educators looking for tips and insights on their work with English-language learners. You’ll also find links to several stories from the EdWeek archives that may be of interest.
This will remain a biweekly feature on the Learning the Language blog, at least for the remainder of the summer.
So, if you have suggestions to add to our next reading roundup, please reach out via Twitter @c_c_mitchell or email, cmitchell@epe.org.
Education Week: Florida to Seek Waiver From Key ESSA Provisions
Florida is asking, among other things, that it not be required to judge schools based on how well English-learners perform on language-proficiency exams.
Education Week: Thousands of English-Learners Fall Short on Test of Language Skills
A change to how a widely used English-proficiency test is scored has led to thousands of students being retained in English-language-learner classes.
Education Week: Does the Term ‘English-Language Learner’ Carry a Negative Connotation?
Star Tribune: St. Paul Schools Sued on Behalf of English Language Learners
Boston Globe: Lawmakers Hope to Undo English-Only Education in Mass.
Education Week: Bilingual Education Set to Return to California Schools
New America: The Role of Science in Boosting Outcomes for English Learners
Chalkbeat: New Federal Rules Are Pushing Indiana to Explore Giving Tests in Spanish
Education Dive: Online Apps Designed to More Effectively Meet the Needs of English Learners
Southern California Public Radio: As California Bilingual Education Grows, Teacher Training is Key
Education Week: Very Early Exposure to English Can Help ELLS Flourish, Study Finds
Colorín Colorado: Building Bridges Through Storytelling: What Are Your Students’ Stories?
Washington Post: Virginia High School Gets a Boost for Some of Its Neediest Immigrant Studentst
Herald Sun: Reverse the Decline in Language Education
The Santa Clarita Valley Signal: Bilingual Speech Contest Builds Relationships Between American and Chinese Students
Peoria Journal-Star: Spanish Education ‘Instills Bicultural Heritage’ in Students
Education Week: For English-Learners, Seeing Peers ‘Struggle and Persist’ Is Beneficial