Common Core & ELLs: Research and Policy

Reports and Policy Briefs

Unlocking the Research on English Learners

What We Know—and Don't Yet Know—about Effective Instruction

By Claude Goldenberg

Challenges are bound to arise as the vast majority of states strive to help English learners meet the Common Core State Standards. In calling for students to read complex texts, these new standards place an even greater emphasis on content knowledge and literacy skills than prior state standards.

This updated review of available research published in the Summer 2013 edition of AFT's American Educator Magazine will help educators bolster the efforts of English learners to understand more-demanding academic content as they also learn English.

For additional guidelines on ELL instruction with the Common Core, see Common Core Challenge for ELLs by Rhoda Coleman and Claude Goldenberg, originally published by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Research Reports: Understanding Language

These reports written by members of the Understanding Language initiative address language and literacy considerations that are part of the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Each report includes a video interview with one of the authors.