English Learners Blog

Learning the Language

Education Week reporters covered English-language learners, bilingual education, and civil rights issues and explored the educational, policy, and social issues surrounding ELLs in U.S. schools. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: English language learners and bilingual education.

English Learners Research Aims to Bring English-Learner Data Into Focus
Arguing that this data is too often misused and misunderstood, two reports offer guidance for educators and advocates who want to fairly treat and evaluate ELLs.
Corey Mitchell, August 18, 2017
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1 min read
Equity & Diversity Back-to-School Reading for English-Language-Learner Teachers
From reports about efforts to create quality learning materials for ELLs to tips on how to help students develop literacy skills, here are some stories that caught our eye this month.
Corey Mitchell, August 11, 2017
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4 min read
English Learners Teaching Materials for English-Learners Are in Short Supply. That Could Soon Change
Will the joint buying power of school districts that serve about 1.3 million English-learners force education publishers to step their game up and improve the quality of materials they design?
Corey Mitchell, August 10, 2017
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1 min read
English Learners Another Round of Summer Reading for English-Language-Learner Educators
For time-crunched educators looking for tips and insights on their work with English-language learners, we've curated our second summer reading list.
Corey Mitchell, July 28, 2017
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2 min read
English Learners Bilingual Children Can Distinguish Voices in Languages They Don't Know
A New York University study examined how children process information about who is talking, and adds to a growing body of research that demonstrates the benefits of bilingualism.
Corey Mitchell, July 25, 2017
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1 min read
Equity & Diversity After Fight to Reach U.S., Afghan Girls' Robotics Team Applauded for Courage
The international First Global robotics competition event in Washington attracted teams of teenagers from nearly 160 nations, but an all-girls squad from Afghanistan grabbed the spotlight.
Corey Mitchell, July 20, 2017
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1 min read
English Learners Very Early Exposure to English Can Help ELLs Flourish, Study Finds
Even waiting until kindergarten to introduce English-learners to English could hinder efforts to help them learn the language, University of Washington researchers argue.
Corey Mitchell, July 19, 2017
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3 min read
English Learners For English-Learners, Seeing Peers 'Struggle and Persist' Is Beneficial
New research finds that the grit of a student's peers was twice as influential as individual grit in predicting literacy growth for English-language learners.
Corey Mitchell, July 17, 2017
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2 min read
English Learners Summer Reading for English-Language-Learner Educators
From how-to videos to a deep-dive investigations, here are links to some of the latest stories and reports exploring the world of English-language learners and the educators who serve them.
Corey Mitchell, July 14, 2017
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1 min read
English Learners Gifted English-Learners Often Ignored, Overlooked
Providing equal opportunities and access for English-learner students has long been an issue in K-12 education. An exclusive Education Week analysis found it's even a problem for the brightest students.
Corey Mitchell, July 10, 2017
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1 min read
Equity & Diversity Bracing for a Showdown Over Immigration Rights, DACA
As the Trump administration looks to ramp up its immigration crackdown, advocates are rolling out how-to guides to teach schools and educators how to protect the rights of undocumented students.
Corey Mitchell, June 30, 2017
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4 min read
Equity & Diversity Status of DACA, Dreamers Remains 'Under Review,' Trump Administration Says
The executive order could have lifted the deportation threat for parents of millions of America's K-12 students and eased educator concerns about separating school-aged children from their parents.
Corey Mitchell, June 16, 2017
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3 min read
Equity & Diversity Civil Rights Groups Take New Mexico to Court in Fight Over Equitable Education
Advocates argue that New Mexico's constitution requires the state to provide an adequate public school education for all school-age children. Two civil rights organizations will make their case in court in a trial that begins next week.
Corey Mitchell, June 8, 2017
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2 min read
Curriculum How Much Foreign Language Is Being Taught in U.S. Schools?
A lack of comprehensive enrollment data on foreign language education in the United States complicates analyzing local or national trends.
Corey Mitchell, June 1, 2017
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2 min read
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