May 11, 2016
Education Week, Vol. 35, Issue 30
Reading & Literacy
Building ELLs' Literacy Early Is Crucial
More states and school districts are aiming to reach ELLs early as mounting evidence shows that exposure to language instruction boosts young children's odds of stronger academic achievement later on.
Federal
Home-School Connections Help ELLs and Their Parents
English-language learners whose parents actively support their learning are more successful in learning English and in achieving at school, so how can schools do a better job of building relationships with families that usually speak languages other than English?
Curriculum
Quality Learning Materials Are Scarce for English-Language Learners
Teachers and ELL experts say there is an array of problems with curricula and learning materials meant for English-learners. But they all agree on two key points: The materials are usually too simple and too disconnected from grade-level goals.
Federal
Teaching English-Language Learners: What Does the Research Tell Us?
Questions around which instructional strategies work best for English-learners are far from settled, including how much a bilingual approach to teaching puts such students at an advantage.
Federal
For Stalled ELL Students, Graduation Is Often an Elusive Goal
Long-term English-learners—those who are not considered proficient for five or more years—are at a great risk of dropping out of school. What can schools do to keep these students on track to graduate?
Federal
Enseñanza para estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma: ¿qué nos dicen las investigaciones?
Las preguntas sobre qué estrategias educativas funcionan mejor para los estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma (English Language Learner, ELL) están lejos de ser respondidas, incluso en qué medida supone una ventaja para los estudiantes de inglés un enfoque de enseñanza bilingüe.
Federal
La conexion entre el hogar y la escuela ayuda a los estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma y a sus padres
Los estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma cuyos padres apoyan activamente sus estudios aprenden inglés y alcanzan logros escolares con más éxito, entonces, ¿de qué modo pueden las escuelas hacer un mejor trabajo para construir relaciones con las familias que generalmente no hablan inglés?
Federal
Para los ELL, graduarse es una meta difícil de lograr
Los estudiantes de inglés a largo plazo enfrentan un alto riesgo de abandonar la escuela. ¿Qué pueden hacer las escuelas para ayudar a estos estudiantes a adquirir un buen dominio del inglés y a mantenerse en el camino para graduarse?
Federal
Comenzar temprano con la alfabetización oral es fundamental para el futuro éxito de los estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma
Más estados y distritos escolares están apuntando a llegar a los estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma en las primeras etapas de su educación ya que cada vez más la evidencia de investigación demuestra que la exposición temprana a la enseñanza de un idioma promueve las oportunidades de los niños para alcanzar más logros académicos en el futuro.
Curriculum
Es difícil encontrar materiales de calidad para estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma
Los maestros y los expertos en ELL afirman que existe una variedad de problemas con los planes de estudios y los materiales de enseñanza pensados para estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma. Pero todos coinciden en dos puntos clave: Los materiales generalmente son muy simples y están muy desconectados de los objetivos del nivel de grado.
Equity & Diversity
Mispronouncing Students' Names: A Slight That Can Cut Deep
When people come across Michelle-Thuy Ngoc Duong’s name, they often see a stumbling block. The 17-year-old sees a bridge.
Equity & Diversity
Study: Most School Districts Have Achievement Gaps
A massive new database reveals the extent of educational inequities in more than 12,000 school districts.
School Climate & Safety
Students Report Less Crime, Feeling Safer at School
Reports of student victimization at public schools continue long pattern of decline while students' fear of harm at school also drops.
Reading & Literacy
Are Rising Grad Rates Pulling Down NAEP Scores?
The lowest-performing high school seniors are slipping in reading and math on the National Assessment of Education Progress. Why?
Assessment
Migrant Students Kept Out of Schools, AP Investigation Finds
In at least 35 districts in 14 states, hundreds of unaccompanied minors from Central America were discouraged from enrolling in schools or pressured into what advocates and lawyers argue are separate but unequal alternative programs—essentially an academic dead end, and one that can violate federal law.
College & Workforce Readiness
Amid Rocky Start, College-Access Coalition Hires First Director
Seven months ago, an elite group of colleges and universities created a new application system intended to help disadvantaged students find their way to higher education. Now, the group has hired its first executive director.
Teacher Preparation
Still Another Survey Says Teachers Are Feeling Stressed, Discounted
Although they find parts of their jobs immensely rewarding, many teachers feel ignored in education policy discussions and are frustrated with the constantly changing demands on them, a new survey finds.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Student Poverty Isn't an Excuse; It's a Barrier
To mitigate the impact of poverty, schools need more resources and better policies, say Helen Ladd, Pedro Noguera, Paul Reville, and Joshua Starr.
Student Achievement
Opinion
How to Judge the Success of K-12 Education Policy
When considering the progress of current education improvement efforts, policymakers must bear one scientific principle in mind, warns Arthur H. Camins.
Families & the Community
Opinion
ESSA's Success Requires Stakeholder Engagement
With the details for ESSA implementation still unfolding, it’s a key time to seek stakeholder input, write Martin J. Blank and Kent McGuire.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
Heisman Trophy Winner: Physical Education Saved My Life
We must seize the moment to provide more funding and support for vital physical education resources, writes former NFL player Herschel Walker.
Education
News in Brief
Transitions
James H. Shelton, a former U.S. deputy secretary of education, will head the education efforts of the multibillion-dollar philanthropic organization created last fall by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, pediatrician Priscilla Chan.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Low Enrollment Spells End for STEM High School
The first science-focused high school on Long Island, N.Y., is slated to close in June because of a $1 million budget gap and low enrollment.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Wis. Police Kill Gunman Outside School Prom
Police seized spent ammunition, a gun sling, and journals from the home of an 18-year-old who opened fire on students at a prom at his former school in northern Wisconsin before being fatally shot by an officer, court records show
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Pa. Teacher Faces Trial for Urging Student Walkout
A former charter school teacher is set for trial on dozens of summary charges of corruption of minors after encouraging hundreds of students to walk out of school in Allentown, Pa., last year.
Assessment
News in Brief
Agreement Reached For Arizona ELLs
At the behest of the federal government, the Arizona education department will take steps to correct civil rights violations that have affected thousands of K-12 English-language learners.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Teacher Applications Flood Hawaii Schools
Hawaii's education department has been inundated with thousands of applications from people all over the world after bringing attention to the state's teacher shortage, but officials say it has been frustrating to find that many applicants have little or no teaching experience.
Reading & Literacy
News in Brief
Reading Coaches to Be Put in All N.Y.C. Primary Schools
As part of a larger equity-focused agenda announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chancellor Carmen Fariña last fall, New York City will put one reading coach, on average, in every elementary school.