ELL News Headlines

The English-learner population is growing rapidly nationwide, but funding, staffing, and state-level expertise for those students have not kept pace. That’s what members of the National Association of English Learner Program Administrators report, according to Khalil El-Saghir, the vice president of the organization, which includes both state and school district leaders.

Teachers can explore these lesson plans, websites, and other resources to enhance project-based learning units that incorporate a variety of subjects.

Websder Corneille is the founder and director of the Haitian Creole Program, an adjunct college lecturer at Indiana University, and a reading interventionist at Promise Prep. He writes, "As a native of Haiti who was mostly educated in French, I bring with me my own challenges that come with learning English. To say that my position resonates with my own experience is an understatement. And now, my role has been extended to include family engagement and support services for our Haitian students and their caregivers. They can reach out to me for public transportation passes, for example, or for help with a job application."

A national coalition of educators and advocates for English learners is calling on the U.S. Department of Education to reinstate federal guidance that the Trump administration quietly rescinded in August.

Close to 40% of all public school students speak a language other than English at home, and the multilingual student population in California is growing more diverse. Yet the number and share of English Learners (EL) in California public schools has fallen. PPIC researchers Beyond Deng and Laura Hill discussed findings from a new report on the changing English Learner population and the obstacles faced by districts in providing courses and services to EL students.

New Mexico, long at the bottom of state rankings for child well-being and educational outcomes, is on the verge of launching a first-in-the-nation program aimed at helping reverse those trends: free child care and preschool for all resident families, regardless of income.

Thirteen is a scary number, an unlucky hide-under-your-covers and don’t-answer-the-door kind of number. This is fitting because this October, readers will get a look at my new book, Fall of the Fireflies, the first book in the "Seasons of Sisterhood" series. It's set in the world of Summer of the Mariposas, a fantasy I wrote 13 years ago that is a Mexican American retelling of the Odyssey. Some of the supernatural beings in that novel included a coven of screeching witch owls known as lechuzas, a ghoulish nagual with a hunger for power (and children), and blood-thirsty chupacabras. 

Opportunities for outdoor learning don’t require special materials, and you can get started by dedicating just 10 minutes to the experience.

Today’s post continues a series in which educators share potential challenges that might exist in teaching English learners and how to overcome them.

Twenty-four organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading were awarded the 2025 Library of Congress Literacy Award. Colorín Colorado was named as a Successful Practices Honoree for its family engagement resources.