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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: English language learners and bilingual education.

Federal Government Shutdown Is Over, But DACA and 'Dreamers' Are Still in Limbo
Congressional Democrats want permanent protections for immigrants shielded under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Republicans warned that a prolonged shutdown would not help negotiations.
Corey Mitchell, January 22, 2018
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3 min read
English Learners Watch: A Parent's Campaign to Break Down Language Barriers for ELL Families
When Teresa Garcia's children started school, she often felt lost in translation. Her campaign for improved language services helped break down barriers for English-learner families.
Corey Mitchell, January 19, 2018
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1 min read
English Learners Rising Number of ESL Students Poses Challenges for U.S. Schools
The number of English-as-a-second-language speakers in public schools is on the rise, but recent research shows that the quality of education for those students in many K-12 schools is falling short.
Corey Mitchell, January 17, 2018
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2 min read
Equity & Diversity After Trump Insult, Educators Rally Around Haitian, African Students
The comments come at a time when more foreign-born black people live in the United States than at any time in history—and many of the residents are children enrolled in the nation's K-12 public schools.
Corey Mitchell, January 12, 2018
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3 min read
English Learners Using Data to Help ELLs Succeed Requires Partnerships, Persistence, Report Argues
What do English-learners need to succeed? A Washington-based think tank examines what states can learn from Illinois' efforts to find out what drives or derails ELL achievement.
Corey Mitchell, January 12, 2018
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2 min read
Law & Courts Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Decision to End DACA
A federal judge ruled that the Department of Homeland Security must allow former Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients to submit renewals for the program, which grants work permits and protection from deportation for 700,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
Corey Mitchell, January 10, 2018
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2 min read
Equity & Diversity Trump's Latest Immigration Move Could Affect Thousands of Salvadoran Students
Recent decisions by the Trump administration to remove temporary protected status, which grants immigrants to right to live and work in the United States legally, could force 400,000 people to leave the country or face deportation.
Corey Mitchell, January 8, 2018
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4 min read
English Learners From Trump's Immigration Crackdown to Foreign Language Learning, Here Are Top ELL Posts in 2017
In 2017, Learning the Language blog readers were drawn to stories about foreign language education, the Trump administration's aggressive stance on immigration, and research that explored the benefits of bilingualism.
Corey Mitchell, December 20, 2017
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2 min read
Equity & Diversity English-Learner Graduation Rates Rise Nationally, But Lag in Several States
In five states, Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, and Virginia, fewer than 50 percent of English-language learners graduate high school in four years. Some states produced much better results.
Corey Mitchell, December 19, 2017
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2 min read
English Learners What's Behind Rising Graduation Rates for English-Learners and Native-American Students?
Educators and researchers are questioning whether the increase in high school completion rates means the needs of those students are being better served in the nation's K-12 schools.
Corey Mitchell, December 7, 2017
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4 min read
English Learners Massachusetts Law Paves the Way for More Bilingual Education
The new law overturns a nearly 15-year-old law that had eliminated bilingual education in most of the state's public schools.
Corey Mitchell, November 27, 2017
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2 min read
Federal To Help ELLs Study the Constitution, iCivics Unveils Spanish-Language Civil Rights Game
A set of new upgrades and enhancements, along with the Spanish version, are designed to support all learners, but were intentionally designed with ELLs and struggling readers in mind.
Corey Mitchell, November 25, 2017
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2 min read
English Learners Dual-Language Programs Boost Student Achievement in English, Study Finds
The dual-language classes paved the way to English-proficiency for non-native speakers. The findings are consistent with other research that touts the benefits of two-way language instruction.
Corey Mitchell, November 22, 2017
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2 min read
English Learners Does English-Language-Learner Classification Help or Hinder Students?
Recent research offers conflicting views on a critical topic: How should educators classify ELL students who are on the cusp of English proficiency?
Corey Mitchell, November 9, 2017
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3 min read
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