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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: English language learners and bilingual education.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 Education Department Pledges to Prioritize Needs of Language-Learners
The goal is to "look at English learners as a national asset and investment in contrast to thinking of English learners as a problem or challenge coming to our school districts," said Libia Gil, the head of the department's office of English-language acquisition.
Corey Mitchell, March 25, 2015
•
2 min read
English Learners New Report Offers State Leaders, Feds Advice to Improve ELL Education
The Education Commission of the States report lists proposed changes in five policy areas, including finance, educator quality, and parent engagement.
Corey Mitchell, March 24, 2015
•
3 min read
School Choice & Charters Urban Charters, Districts Serve Equal Numbers of ELLs, Study Finds
A new study from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University challenges the long-held notion that charter schools actively push out students with special needs.
Arianna Prothero, March 18, 2015
•
1 min read
English Learners Feds Reflect On Successes, Challenges of NAEP's English-Learner Policy
The percentage of ELLs taking the NAEP math and reading exams has risen steadily in most states over the last five years—an important goal for federal policymakers.
Corey Mitchell, March 10, 2015
•
2 min read
English Learners Chicago Schools to Offer Biliteracy Seal, Latino Studies Curriculum
Earning the seal could open the door for college scholarships, internships, and jobs that require proficiency in a second language, educators say.
Corey Mitchell, March 4, 2015
•
2 min read
States Tucson's Ethnic Studies Courses Don't Violate Ban, Arizona Chief Rules
The district risked losing up to $15 million in state funding over courses that former Arizona public schools Superintendent John Huppenthal said violated a 2010 state ban on ethnic studies. His successor, Diane Douglas, has overruled him, leaving the funding intact.
Corey Mitchell, March 4, 2015
•
1 min read
Equity & Diversity Better Management Needed For Native American School Facilities, GAO Finds
Investigations conducted as far back as 1997 called for more accountability and reliable national data to better assess the condition of Bureau of Indian Education facilities.
Corey Mitchell, March 2, 2015
•
2 min read
Education N.Y.C. Schools Chief Promotes Top English-Language Learner Administrator
Milady Baez's move to a cabinet post may be the latest indication that improving education for the district's fastest-growing student population is a top priority for Chancellor Carmen Fariña.
Corey Mitchell, February 27, 2015
•
1 min read
Federal Hawaii Granted Federal Testing Waiver for Language-Immersion Students
State Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi wanted relief from "double testing" that would allow students taking the field test to forego the English-only Smarter Balanced statewide assessment.
Corey Mitchell, February 23, 2015
•
2 min read
Equity & Diversity New York Schools Will Remove Enrollment Obstacles for Immigrants
Investigations found evidence that several districts refused to enroll undocumented youths and unaccompanied minors if they were unable to produce documents demonstrating guardianship or residency in the state.
Corey Mitchell, February 19, 2015
•
2 min read
Equity & Diversity Obama Vows to Fight Back After Federal Ruling Stalls Immigration Protections
The White House saw the programs, which could shield as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation, as tools to ease concerns about separating school-aged children from their families.
Corey Mitchell, February 18, 2015
•
2 min read
Equity & Diversity Obama Administration's Native Youth Listening Tour Launches in Ariz.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell acknowledges that "we're at a time in our nation's history where we have awakened to the fact that we are not doing an effective job serving Native youth."
Corey Mitchell, February 12, 2015
•
1 min read
English Learners Los Angeles Unified Lawyers to Represent Students Facing Deportation
The students, many of them undocumented immigrants from Central America, have to juggle court dates and concerns about deportation while trying to adjust to schools in a new country.
Corey Mitchell, February 11, 2015
•
2 min read
Education Dual-Language-Learner Group Aims to Bridge Research, Classroom Practice
In its first report, the group's founder argues that "DLLs have long been ignored in education policy debates."
Corey Mitchell, February 6, 2015
•
1 min read
Load More ▼