ELL News Headlines

In the wake of federal policies cutting off standard pathways for refugees to come to the U.S., there's another pathway for some refugees, including those who have special immigrant visas, as well as some visa holders from Ukraine, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti. Like all refugees, they've already been extensively vetted and approved by the U.S. government. But unlike other refugees, who have to wait for the government to book their travel and connect them with a resettlement agency, these groups of refugees can buy their own plane tickets if they have the means. Thousands of people have taken that route to Washington state in recent years, and some are continuing to do so. The catch is that once they get here, there's no guarantee the federal government will offer them any help at all.

In a late-session revision to a school funding bill, Kentucky House lawmakers want to limit state dollars for English language learning services to four years per child. The current school funding formula, known as SEEK, allots extra funding to districts for services needed by students with disabilities, low-income students and students who are working to master the English language, also known as multilingual learners.

Two literacy experts share some of the trends they’re seeing amongst struggling older readers, and how they think schools can approach this issue – with both school-wide strategies, and individual interventions.

While most of the over 50 million unpaid family caregivers in the United States are adults, experts estimate that there are millions of adolescent Americans who provide this type of work every year. Research on the experience of teenage caregiving is limited, but studies suggest that young caregivers struggle to care for themselves and are at higher risk of anxiety and depression, chronic diseases, and dropping out of school. These risks are what Young, Gifted and Caregiving, a new Atlanta-area initiative, aims to address.

A complaint filed against the Cape Henlopen School District by an English language development teacher alleges a lack of proper resources, curriculum and compliance with federal law.

The PBS Learning Media Civics Collection offers about 180 resources, primarily video clips, along with interactive lessons and time lines. Additional teaching resources and the ability to assign premade or educator-created lessons via links or through Google Classroom make this highly adaptable for supplementing lesson plans and providing differentiated instruction.

When kids feel bombarded by difficult emotions, they may feel a sense of helplessness, as if there is nothing they can do to pull themselves out of the storm. As parents, we know effective strategies are out there, but knowing which ones to use in the moment can feel overwhelming.

Louisiana has a long history with the French language, and while most Louisianans no longer speak it, a growing number of schools are immersing kids in it. At École Pointe-au-Chien, the focus is on teaching local French dialects first, an approach the school's founders believe is unique in the state and possibly the country.

For many schools, early release days present a challenge. The half days where schedules are disrupted so students leave early—while teachers stay on campus for professional development or other activities—can be hard to manage. But one Vermont school has found a solution. The team at Vergennes Union Elementary School in Vergennes, Vt., discovered a program called Project Wild at a conference, and it has completely changed their approach and mindset around early release days.

Early elementary teachers can use these strategies to help students improve their oral communication skills.