ELL News Headlines

The City University of New York, the largest urban public university system in the United States, is moving to fundamentally rework its traditional remedial programs. Administrators hope program changes this year and in 2018 will make necessary catch-up less of a stumbling block, while ensuring that students who are in college-level classes are prepared to do the work.

Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump's administration recently put their own stamp on the Every Student Succeeds Actt by dismantling key elements of the previous administration's work. State school leaders say the moves won't significantly influence their approach to the law, but advocacy groups will be watching closely to see how the new, more flexible policy environment affects decisions about underperforming schools and disadvantaged students.

New research indicates that where English-language learners attend school can determine how quickly they are reclassified as English-proficient A Michigan State University research team found that schools in Texas—second only to California in total number of K-12 English-learners—vary widely in how they determine if students should be reclassified as English proficient, affecting their chances of success in school and beyond.

The schools superintendent in Harrisonburg, Va., was meeting parents this month when a mother broke down in tears, explaining that she was undocumented. What would the school do, she asked, if she became separated from her children? "I remember walking up to her and putting my arm on her shoulder and saying, 'Your child is safe at our school,'" said Scott Kizner, the city schools chief. But he also advised those at the meeting in the Shenandoah Valley that any parents worried about deportation "need to make plans."

Sixty-four Woodburn high school seniors received the State of Oregon Seal of Biliteracy in a recognition ceremony the evening of March 14. The seal recognizes the linguistic assets and academic skills of biliterate high school graduates, as well as provides colleges and employers with a consistent measure for bilingual proficiency.

Crossing borders and leaving family, home, and everything else behind is a reality for many children and teens. The following titles—from picture books to YA—explore the many dangers, factors, and effects that refugees and immigrants face every day. All of these titles are recently published or forthcoming in 2017.

Two Texas congressmen from opposing political parties created an internet sensation — and maybe a tool for integrating social-emotional learning into classroom discussions — when their flights to Washington were cancelled due to snow this week, forcing them on an impromptu cross-country road trip to make it to the Capitol in time for votes Wednesday evening.

Jennifer Garner, the actress and a member of the Board of Trustees of the nonprofit Save the Children, which promotes children's rights, testified Thursday on Capitol Hill about the importance of early-childhood education for children who live in poverty. Appearing at a hearing of the House Appropriations labor, health and human services, education and related agencies subcommittee, Garner explained in moving testimony how living in poverty affects the ability of young children to learn.

Over the last 15 years or so, thousands of refugees have flowed from Somalia into the small, historically white town of Lewiston, Maine. For many of the youngest refugees, the move has meant adjusting to a new school and a school climate that can make them feel rejected. Maine Public Radio's Robbie Feinberg reports on a group of students trying to change that by teaching their teachers about what it means to be a refugee.

The Trump administration is seeking to cut $9.2 billion — or 13.5 percent — from the Education Department's budget, a dramatic downsizing that would reduce or eliminate grants for teacher training, after-school programs and aid to ­low-income and first-generation college students.  Along with the cuts, among the steepest the agency has ever sustained, the administration is also proposing to shift $1.4 billion toward one of President Trump’s key priorities: Expanding charter schools, private-school vouchers and other alternatives to traditional public schools.