ELL News Headlines
Throughout the week, Colorín Colorado gathers news headlines related to English language learners from around the country. The ELL Headlines are posted Monday through Friday and are available for free!
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A Little-Noticed Target in the House Health Bill: Special Education
With all the sweeping changes the Republican bill would impose, little attention has been paid to its potential impact on education. School districts rely on Medicaid, the federal health care program for the poor, to provide costly services to millions of students with disabilities across the country. For nearly 30 years, Medicaid has helped school systems cover costs for special education services and equipment, from physical therapists to feeding tubes. The money is also used to provide preventive care, such as vision and hearing screenings, for other Medicaid-eligible children.
Local Heroes: Librarians Address Inequity Where They See It
What does it take to empower young patrons, remove barriers, and help them succeed? Determination. Imagination. A solution-oriented outlook. The individuals who spearheaded these bold library initiatives were driven by a goal to improve service for all users. They tackled big projects head-on to further equity in their schools and communities: a GED program at a tribal library; resources for children who are neurodivergent; free food and programs for kids during the summer; eliminating discriminatory policies; and more. Here’s how they did it.
Using Student Narratives to Build Community
With the national conversation on immigration at the forefront of the news, teachers are working to incorporate this discussion into their classrooms. Here is how one teacher, Jennifer Ciok, Social Emotional Learning Specialist at Umoja Student Development Corporation, a non-profit organization in Chicago, Illinois, helps students understand their own personal stories of immigration.
In a Colorado Theater, DREAMers and Law Enforcement Leaders Stand Together on Stage
On April 30, a group of DREAMers and law enforcement leaders stood on a stage in front of a sold-out crowd in Boulder, Colorado, for a performance centering around the immigrant experience in the United States. The show, titled “Do You Know Who I Am?,” featured monologues written by young undocumented immigrants and, for the first and only time, was read by eight criminal justice system authority figures—including the Boulder County district attorney, the county’s sheriff and five community police chiefs. “It became very clear throughout the presidential primaries, as well as the election that we needed to disrupt the association between criminality and documentation status,” Kirsten Wilson, artistic director and founder of Motus Theater, told Latino USA.
Bana Alabed, 7-Year-Old Syrian Girl, to Publish Memoir
Bana Alabed, the 7-year-old girl whose tweets from besieged Aleppo drew the world's attention to the human toll of the Syria conflict, will publish her memoir this fall. In "Dear World," to be published by Simon & Schuster, Bana will describe her experiences in Syria and how she and her family are adapting to their new life in Turkey.
Classifying English Proficiency Varies by District, with Mixed Outcomes for Students
The threshold for transitioning students from English learners to fluent English proficient status—a process termed reclassification—varies widely across and within states, finds a study by NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, Oregon State University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The findings, published in a special centennial issue of the American Educational Research Journal, inform conversations about statewide policies for English learner reclassification, which are now mandated under the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act.
Some Schools Asked Parents for Social Security Numbers. Now Schools Are on State'[s Radar
Some central San Joaquin Valley school districts have been flagged in a complaint to the California Attorney General's Office for requiring proof of a Social Security number or other personal information upon enrollment – a practice advocates say is harmful to undocumented families.
Hmong Moms Learn English While Kids Are Tutored
Sia Yang didn't have a lot of time to learn English or earn a high school diploma after she immigrated to the Wausau area from Laos in 2002. In the years Yang has been in this country, she's managed to learn basic English. She speaks with a heavy accent and has to search her mind for the right word. She wants to refine her English speaking and writing skills, but working full time plus caring for children who range in age from 3 to 13 meant there was little free time for her to pursue those goals. But now her children are getting older, and she is taking steps toward her goals. A new program at Horace Mann Middle School that offers parallel learning programs for adults and their children offers Yang another opportunity to learn.
Immigration Raids on School Grounds May Be Banned in Rhode Island
Rhode Island lawmakers are considering legislation that would ban immigration enforcement agents from school grounds. The legislation would prohibit what it describes as "sensitive locations," including churches, hospitals, and courts, from granting access to federal agents who want to question or detain people suspected of living in the country illegally. Due for a hearing in the state House Judiciary Committee this week, the bill would create an exception if there's a warrant out for the person.
In This Kentucky Town, Refugees Can Choose a Separate High School
The town of Bowling Green, Kentucky, has opened a small public high school solely aimed at serving refugee and immigrant students. The idea is that by separating these students, their unique needs can be met so they will be more successful when they graduate and hopefully integrate into the community. But some experts question if this practice is a form of segregation and will maintain divisions within cities and towns. As part of The Hechinger Report’s new partnership with APM Reports, the national documentary and investigative unit of American Public Media, Hechinger Report staff writer Meredith Kolodner discusses what she found in reporting her story about challenges for refugee students and explains how Bowling Green’s model works on this week’s episode of the Educate podcast.