With many states facing dramatic increases in their ELL populations, The Working Group on ELL Policy, a team of leading ELL researchers and policy experts, has published a report on how to best keep pace with the growing needs of English Language Learners. Focused on improving educational outcomes for ELLs, the report is aimed to inform lawmakers who are discussing reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind.

The report offers recommendations to improve five key areas of ESEA, making the new policy much more comprehensive than it is today. The proposed changes not only emphasize access to high-quality teachers for ELLs, but also suggest backing schools’ efforts to teach bilingual education. The report recommends that the amount of time it takes ELLs to learn English should be taken into account, therefore allowing the students to have adequate time and resources to develop proficiency and academic progress. It is also suggested that states should employ consistent identification and classification of their ELL students, as well as the length and type of services for them.

With increasingly diverse student populations growing faster than ever, it may be time to revisit our policies to ensure the best strategies and educational opportunities are available for our English Language Learners.

Keep Learning!
Leslie
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