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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: English language learners and bilingual education.
Education
Do Districts Have Incentives Not to Reclassify ELLs as Fluent?
Several blog readers weigh in on the issue of whether school districts have incentives not to reclassify English-language learners as proficient in the language.
Education
Resource: 'Reference Center' for English-Learners
A publisher that describes itself as supporting the "library industry" has created an on-line reference source intended to help English-language learners in middle and high school.
Education
The Buddy System for ELLs
It can be helpful for English-language learners who are new to the country to have a buddy in class.
Education
Opinion: L.A. Unified Has Financial Incentive Not to Reclassify ELLs
A guest commentary in the Los Angeles Daily News accuses Los Angeles Unified School District of keeping students in programs to learn English because they get extra funds from the federal and state governments to educate these students.
Education
St. Paul Picks Former ELL Director as Superintendent
The school board of St. Paul public schools has picked Valeria Silva, a native of Chile and former director of ELL programs for the district, as the district's next superintendent.
School & District Management
Innovation: English-as-a-Second-Language Kindergarten
Minnesota's Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District is offering English-language learners a half day of kindergarten taught by an English-as-a-second-language teacher in addition to a regular half-day of kindergarten.
Education
Study: Teacher Exchanges Are Pipeline for Bilingual Teachers
Some school districts are helping to fill a shortage of bilingual teachers through international teacher exchanges.
Assessment
Tennessee Will Let ELLs Take Tests in 'Simplified English'
This coming spring, Tennessee will give its state assessment to English-language learners for the first time in 'simplified English.'
Education
Do Charter Schools Enroll Their Share of ELLs?
It's getting to be a common complaint that English-language learners are underrepresented in charter schools.
Teacher Preparation
Free Webinars on Language Issues
The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition is hosting several webinars on issues concerning ELLs, including one this week about how math teachers can best work such students.
Equity & Diversity
Mass. May Revisit In-State Tuition Rate for Undocumented Students
Some Massachusetts lawmakers are pushing for the state to permit undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates at public universities.
Teacher Preparation
Webinar: Help for Mainstream Math Teachers in Teaching ELLs
WestEd is providing a live webinar for mainstream teachers of math to teach ELLs in their classroom who have different levels of language proficiency.
Federal
How Are Districts Using Stimulus Funds for ELLs?
The three top ways that federal stimulus funds are being used to improve schooling for English-language learners are to improve the quality of teachers, step up services at the middle and high school levels, and increase instructional time through after-school or summer programs, according to a survey conducted by the ELL Working Group.
Education
Light Blogging This Week
The blogging has been light this week because I've been taking some days off work.