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Minnesota

As of the 2007-2008 school year, STATE's schools were home to more than 62,600 English language learners (ELLs), which marks a 129% increase from the 1997-1998 school year (NCELA, 2010). The top five languages or language groups spoken by ELLs in Minnesota are Spanish, Hmong, Cushite, German, and Russian (EPE, 2009).

Minnesota is a member of WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment), joining in 2010. WIDA is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners which offers states programming for identifying and annually assessing the English language development of its English learners.

State ELL Resources

State Agency: Minnesota Department of Education

ELL Website: Minnesota English Learners

The Minnesota Department of Education also provides:

• English learner resources
• Quality indicators for ESL Programs
• Critical Elements for English Learner Programming

ELL Identification

Home Language Survey: Minnesota Department of Education home language survey

Placement Exam: Minnesota Department of Education Identification and Program Basics
In these (page 1, section 4), the Minnesota Department of Education states that "the decision to identify an English learner should be based on multiple measures, including appropriate combination of teacher judgment, parent input, assessment of academic achievement and assessment of English proficiency skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing for students in grades K though 12." Under Minnesota Department of Education, districts should "identify students as limited English proficient using district-based criteria based on developmentally appropriate measures." Page 6 provides a list of appropriate assessments for supporting the identification of ELs.

ELP Standards & Assessment

ELP Standards: WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards

ELP Assessment: WIDA-ACCESS for ELLs

Statewide Standards-Based Assessment

Assessment: Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs)

Additional Information

Title III Information

WIDA: Minnesota Contact Information

Common Core State Standards: No

Education Minnesota

Education Minnesota is the largest advocate for public education in the state and an affiliate of the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and AFL-CIO.

Minnesota Humanities Center

The Minnesota Humanities Center conducts professional development opportunities; creates and disseminates educational resources; partners with other organizations to offer humanities programs statewide; and operates a full-service meeting and event center.

Minnesota State Parent Information Resource Centers

The Minnesota PIRC is a statewide project that helps parents to become more involved in their children's education and helps schools to design and implement parent involvement policies.

Minnesota TESOL

MinneTESOL is a professional association of teachers of English as a Second Language in Minnesota and neighboring states dedicated to the education and support of students acquiring English at all levels of public and private education.

References

Editorial Projects in Education (EPE). "Most Common Non-English Languages Spoken by ELL Youths, by State." Perspectives on a Population: English-Language Learners in American Schools (Education Week's Quality Counts 2009 Report). Pg. 13. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2009/01/08/index.html. January 2009.

Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students. Minnesota Rate of EL Growth (1997/98-2007/08). Compiled July 2010 and retrieved from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/t3sis/state/minnesota/data.