ELL News Headlines

Phonological awareness and decoding are foundational, as addressed in structured literacy. By addressing these critical areas, WIDA can provide a more comprehensive framework that not only aligns with state mandates but also empowers ESOL educators to effectively support the literacy development of all students.

Annual funding is $250 million less than what was promised, leaving campuses with outdated curricula, too few instructors and crumbling facilities.

Education and housing are often inextricably linked, but policy decisions made in the two sectors are generally siloed, at times shaped and passed without considering how a housing policy might impact education and vice versa. Megan Gallagher’s research bridges the two, focusing on housing and educational collaborations that support students’ academic outcomes. Some of her latest work as a principal research associate at the Urban Institute, a nonprofit research organization focused on public policy, provides school officials and housing developers with ideas on how to partner together to desegregate schools by desegregating neighborhoods.

Thousands of students, including in Newark, Chicago, and the Denver area, are helping test out federal financial aid forms before they go live to the broader public on or before Dec. 1.

Dr. Sophia Rodriguez writes, "For the past 15 years, I have worked as a teacher, coach, and then ethnographer and education policy researcher to try to understand how newcomer immigrant students experience their schools and communities. In my research roles, I have interviewed hundreds of immigrant youth, and I have learned of their everyday realities, their enduring hope, and their struggle for belonging in the U.S."

Years ago, the Beaverton school district in Oregon participated in a study to determine the right models for improving English learners’ academic achievement. The results, which came out in 2019, pointed to two promising models, especially for the elementary grades: dual-language immersion, in which students learn in both English and another language, and an integrated, collaborative model, such as when a content-area and English-language-development teacher work side by side in the same classroom, ensuring English learners are exposed to grade-level academic content and vocabulary.

Students can get timely exposure to the civic process through interesting activities that encourage them to think about important issues.

Eden Alonso-Rivera told herself, "I have nothing to lose." The 16-year-old junior at Grandville High School in Grandville, Mich., opened her bedside drawer and pulled out something precious: A bundle of letters and sketches her father had sent from jail. The two are no longer in touch. For Eden, these letters aren't just from her father; they are her father. She took the small bundle to school — itself a remarkable act, since she'd kept the letters secret from all but her mother — and then did something even more remarkable: She made a podcast about letting go of the father she barely knows.

Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, occurs this year on October 31 through November 1. Share these titles about the holiday with young readers.

Today’s post continues a yearlong series on mistakes that are made in the name of culturally responsive teaching.