New Jersey: ELL Resources

Map of New Jersey

As of 2019, New Jersey's schools were home to more than 98,000 English language learners. In recent years, the most common five languages spoken by ELLs in New Jersey have been Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, and Korean. (U.S. Dept. of Education, National Center for Education Statistics)

New Jersey is a member of WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment), joining in 2005. 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.

Note: For additional state-by-state data and information, see New America's English Learner Accountability Hub.

State ELL Resources

ELL Web Resources:

Division of Early Education: Preschool Guidance & Materials

NCELA: Title III Information

WIDA: New Jersey Contact Information

Statewide Organizations

New Jersey TESOL/New Jersey Bilingual Educators

NJTESOL/NJBE is an association of educators and administrators dedicated to the instruction English language learners at all levels of public and private education. The organization's interests include classroom practices, research, curriculum development, funding, employment and socio-political concerns.

PennTESOL-East

PennTESOL-East is a professional, non-profit association in eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware dedicated to the improvement and advancement of teaching English to speakers of other languages.

New Jersey: Seal of Biliteracy

New Jersey adopted the Seal of Biliteracy in 2016. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, district, or state in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation.

New Jersey Education Association

New Jersey Education Association is a National Education Association State Affiliate that regularly lobbies legislators for the resources schools need, campaigns for higher professional standards for the teaching profession, and files legal actions to protect academic freedom and the rights of school employees.

New Jersey Federation of Teachers

The New Jersey Federation of Teachers promotes statewide organization and unionization of teachers and all other personnel engaged in education in order to carry out the program and policies of the NJSFT and the American Federation of Teachers.

Note: Regulations change with time. These guidelines were compiled in January of 2012 and updated in May 2022. If you see something that needs updating, please send an e-mail to Colorín Colorado. For more detailed information regarding ELL guidelines and policies at the state and federal levels, please see the following:

References

U.S. Department of Education. Our Nation’s English Learners. Most Common Non-English Languages Spoken by English Learners.