Nevada English Language Learner's Summary

2016

This study examined three cohorts of Nevada English learner students over six years. The cohorts were students in kindergarten, grade 3, and grade 6 at the start of the study. Using student scores from the previously administered English Language Proficiency Assessment and the criterionreferenced tests for math and reading, the study team found that at least 65 percent of English learner students in these cohorts were reclassified as fluent English proficient students over the six-year period. English learner students who were eligible for special education services had the lowest cumulative reclassification or passing rates on all three tests. English learner students in higher grades had lower cumulative passing rates on the reading and math content tests than English learner students in lower grades. With the exception of the kindergarten cohort, English learner students performed better on the English Language Proficiency Assessment and math content test than on the reading cont...

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Immigration, language, and the promise America makes with the world in the epigraph above has always been a difficult issue for education. In order to fulfill that promise immigrants must decide each day how much of their past and culture to keep and how much to leave on the boat, plane, or border. America has struggled with defining this promise as it has supported various language policies to the benefit and detriment of its new citizens. The contemporary dilemma facing Virginia's public school system of how to fairly assess Englsih content knowledge of English Language Learners is the most current example of tangled threads that lead back over 100 years. As we begin to untangle these threads some recommendations on how to weave these threads together to create a stronger and fairer educational system for Virginia's non-native speaking citizens will be made.

Policy Issues in Nevada Education, 2021

Problem. Approximately 15% of emergent bilinguals (EBs; commonly referred to as English learners) in Nevada demonstrated proficiency in math and English language arts in contrast with the general student population, which achieved proficiencies of 42% and 55% in these subjects, respectively. Therefore, there is a critical need for programs that are responsive to EBs' linguistic, cultural, and academic strengths. Purpose. This policy paper discusses the need for alternative educational supports for EBs, the effectiveness of bilingual education models compared with prevailing English instructional models, and the possibility of bilingual programming as a viable option in Nevada. Recommendations. Nevada could require that strong forms of bilingual education, supported by the new funding formula, be offered to EBs. University-school partnerships could create a pipeline between enrollment in bilingual teacher education programs and staffing of bilingual programs. The state should also allow the assessment of content knowledge in English and other languages for accountability purposes to promote bilingualism/ biliteracy for all students.

Background Two events -the Flores v. State of Arizona 1 (Flores) ruling in 2000 and the voterapproved Proposition 203 2 in 2002 -have significantly changed the legal landscape in Arizona for English Language Learners (ELLs). 3 The Flores case imposed a number of duties on the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction related to identifying and providing appropriate services to ELLs. Proposition 203 changed the state law governing the required services and assessments for ELLs, mandating that "all children in Arizona public schools shall be taught English by being taught in English." 4 Flores v. Arizona Citing the Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) of 1974, 5 in 1992 Miriam Flores sued in Federal District Court, accusing the State of Arizona of failing to provide ELLs with a program of instruction designed to make them proficient in English 3.2

The report is both comprehensive and timely, with ELL-related discussions presently taking place in the Legislature that would remove ELL from the throes of political ideologies and return oversight to the State Board of Education. It notes the economic impact on all of Arizona if ELL programs and funding are not improved.

Voices in Urban Education, 2013

Education Northwest, 2010

8.6 percent of total public school enrollment in the Northwest. To address these changes, many district leaders in the Northwest are taking a direct role in supporting the education of ELLs. These leaders are looking for programs, strategies, and practices to help this growing population of students develop English proficiency while simultaneously mastering academic content. The following lessons are derived from Education Northwest's research, evaluation, and technical

2017

The English Language Learner (ELL) student population in the U.S. has been rapidly increasing over the past decade. Between 1998 and 2009, the number of ELL students in U.S. public schools increased by 51% while the general student population increased by merely seven percent (U.S. Department of Education). At present, one in ten students is classified as "ELL", and it is predicted that 25% of students will be categorized as such by 2025 (TESOL, 2013). While the population of ELL students continues to grow, the academic performance of this group continues to evidence a consistent and substantial achievement gap over time (Gándara & Hopkins, 2010; Olsen, 2009). The growing population of ELL students combined with the persistent achievement gap has generated concern and specific policy responses by states and districts. For example, in California, where ELLs constitute 25% of the student population (Rumberger & Gándara, 2005), ELL students are required to take English Language Development (ELD) and modified instruction (or "sheltered") courses. Some districts and schools also provide bilingual education or dual immersion, usually with the goal of transitioning ELL students to English-only instruction. Yet these interventions are failing to close the achievement gap for ELL students. This is especially true for Latino ELL students, who make up 75% of the national ELL student population (Garcia & Kleifgen, 2010), and 84% of the ELL population in California (California Department of Education). The academic performance of Latino ELL students in particular remains far below that of other students (

Intercultural Development Research Association, 2009

The proportion of California's limited English speaking students is increasing rapidly. Language minority students represent more than one-third of all students in California public schools. The most central educational outcome for these students is English proficiency. Research varies on how long it takes for students to become English proficient, and some data indicate that even the most successful English learners may not master the levels of English required in advanced academic settings. Two issues dominate current concerns about educational opportunities for English learners (instructional programs and teacher quality). There has been considerable controversy over the nature of programs provided to English learners in California, focusing on whether instruction should be in the native language while learning English or simply in English. California passed Proposition 227, which requires a one-year English immersion program rather than native language instruction. Early ind...