Bilingual Education

Learn more about the education model where students are taught part of the day in their first language and the rest of the day in a language that is new to them, typically English
After a nearly 20-year ban on bilingual education in its public schools, Arizona’s school chief is pledging to get the law repealed in the upcoming legislative session. Known as Proposition 203, Arizona’s statute is the last of the state laws that prohibit using bilingual education to teach English-language learners.
After a nearly 20-year ban on bilingual education in its public schools, Arizona’s school chief is pledging to get the law repealed in the upcoming legislative session. Known as Proposition 203, Arizona’s statute is the last of the state laws that prohibit using bilingual education to teach English-language learners.
AP Photo/Matt York
English Learners 'English-Only' Laws in Education on Verge of Extinction
Arizona is expected to repeal its longstanding ban on bilingual education, following similar moves in California and Massachusetts in recent years.
Corey Mitchell, October 23, 2019
5 min read
English Learners 100,000 Students Earned the Seal of Biliteracy, But They're in a Handful of States
Dozens of states offer the seal of biliteracy, but more than 80 percent of students who earn the honor are concentrated in just five states, a new report reveals.
Corey Mitchell, October 15, 2019
2 min read
Adrian Galvan, left, is a bilingual paraprofessional at Lyman Hall Elementary School in Hall County, Ga. He is part of program that aims to recruit teacher-candidates who reflect the ethnic and linguistic diversity of the student population.
Adrian Galvan, left, is a bilingual paraprofessional at Lyman Hall Elementary School in Hall County, Ga. He is part of program that aims to recruit teacher-candidates who reflect the ethnic and linguistic diversity of the student population.
Nicole Craine for Education Week
Teaching Profession Wanted: Teachers as Diverse as Their Students
Districts try "grow your own" programs to build an educator workforce that mirrors their changing student body.
Corey Mitchell, September 17, 2019
6 min read
English Learners A 'One-Size-Fits-All' Approach to English-Learner Education Won't Work. Here's Why
The current system results in less access to academic classes for long-term English-learners, a new study argues, while more recent arrivals sometimes fare better.
Corey Mitchell, August 15, 2019
3 min read
Federal Is Congress Lagging in Nationwide Push for Language Learning?
The popularity of the seal of biliteracy has surged across the country but federal legislation that would fund U.S. Department of Education grants to help states and school districts establish and strengthen programs has repeatedly sputtered in Congress.
Corey Mitchell, July 26, 2019
2 min read
English Learners Do English-Language Learners Get Stigmatized by Teachers? A Study Says Yes
New research suggests that English-language-learner classification has a "direct and negative effect on teachers' perceptions of students' academic skills."
Corey Mitchell, July 17, 2019
3 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Melody Newcomb for Education Week
English Learners Opinion Stop Trying to Standardize Your Students' Language
Instead of fixating on the word gap and other false language-skills dilemmas, focus on what's really hurting students, writes Olivia Obeso.
Olivia Obeso, June 12, 2019
5 min read
Federal Report Roundup Foreign Languages
U.S. employers increasing rely on multilingual employees to advance their goals, but many have lost business because they don't have staff who can communicate in languages other than English, finds a new report from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
Corey Mitchell, June 11, 2019
1 min read
English Learners Itinerant English-Learners Pose Challenges for School Systems
A new study that sought to examine learning conditions across the country for long-term English-learners found that 1 in 5 of the students are highly mobile, and may not have access to consistent language support as a result.
Corey Mitchell, May 23, 2019
3 min read
English Learners U.S. Economy Needs More Foreign Language Studies to Stay Competitive, Report Says
A new report from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages determines that U.S. employees are missing out on business opportunities because they struggle to find employees who can communicate in languages other than English.
Corey Mitchell, May 21, 2019
3 min read
English Learners As More States Adopt Bilingualism Seal, Equity Concerns Arise
While demographic information on students earning the seal of biliteracy is not tracked in many states, new research suggests that English-learners and students from low-income families may be on the wrong side of an equity gap.
Corey Mitchell, May 13, 2019
2 min read
English Learners School Districts Get Creative to Fill English-Learner Teaching Vacancies, Survey Finds
A new survey from the Council of the Great City Schools reveals trends on English-learner enrollment, linguistic diversity, student achievement, professional development, and staffing in the nation's largest school districts.
Corey Mitchell, April 11, 2019
2 min read
English Learners Report Roundup Research Report: English-Language Learners
In 50 years, the achievement gap has been unchanged, with the poorest 10 percent of students performing three to four years behind the wealthiest 10 percent of peers, finds a new study in the journal Education Next.
Corey Mitchell, April 9, 2019
1 min read
Ahmed Hassan, left, a bilingual communication support specialist at Talahi Elementary School in St. Cloud, Minn., mediates a conflict between Adnan Ahmed, 10, center, and Zeyle Mohamed, 10. Hassan provides linguistic and cultural support to school staff members and Somali families.
Ahmed Hassan, left, a bilingual communication support specialist at Talahi Elementary School in St. Cloud, Minn., mediates a conflict between Adnan Ahmed, 10, center, and Zeyle Mohamed, 10. Hassan provides linguistic and cultural support to school staff members and Somali families.
Swikar Patel/Education Week
Teaching Profession Bilingual Teachers Are in Short Supply. How Can Schools Cultivate Their Own?
A Washington-based think tank has released a guide to help school districts and states identify, develop, and hire bilingual educators in their own communities.
Corey Mitchell, March 19, 2019
2 min read