ELL News Headlines

Federal law requires states and school districts to identify if children need English-learner services and special education services to equally access instruction. But despite the legal requirements and the evolving research and supports to help educators do better evaluations, accurately identifying English learners who also need special education services remains a persistent problem.

Rural areas — where barriers associated with time and distance are greater — have a high need for adult education. Steve Curiel, the principal of Huntington Beach Adult School, said not enough conversations about adult education are held at the policy level because most people in elected positions are unlikely to understand the critical role it plays, having experienced more traditional educational journeys.

I’ve previously published a series on teachers’ favorite lessons for ELL newcomers. Now, it’s time to do the same for intermediate ELLs.

An influx of immigrant students last year left the Jeffco school district scrambling to meet their needs. So this fall, officials are piloting new programs and support to help newcomer students. The school district is piloting a series of changes, including new staff, resources, and curriculum materials, as well as a new welcome center bus, after hundreds of immigrant students arrived throughout the past school year. The district is planning for the surge to continue into next school year.

By centering safety and connection, administrators can help promote the well-being of their staff and students.

When I tell people I work at a Career Technical Education (CTE) school, also known as a vocational school, they often assume I’m working with students who have struggled academically or behaviorally, but that’s not the case at our school. In fact, it’s a pretty dated misconception of CTE programs. Over the past decade, CTE schools have transformed into education spaces that commit to giving students a comprehensive experience that prepares them for the workforce, helping them cultivate strong skills in their chosen career path.

Many students don’t come to school because they lack clean clothes, said principal Jose Hernandez.

Teachers can approach and instruct students with compassion and encouragement to subvert the idea that neurodivergence indicates maladaptive behavior.

Westminster Public Schools was one of many districts in Colorado to receive a surge of new immigrant students after the start of the school year. In the four months between October and February alone, the district reported it had enrolled 216 newcomer students. Westminster received $877,000 in one-time state funding to help cover the expenses of educating students who were not counted for this year’s state funding because they started after October. With that help, Westminster budgeted $10,000 to create a new summer school program to help Spanish-speaking students keep practicing English, particularly hoping to enroll many of the new immigrant students who had just started to learn.

The numbers of English-language learners in schools continue to rise. How can we best support them? Here are quick recommendations from educators on X and Facebook.