Illinois State Board of Education’s Post

It is excellent to see all 50 states and the D.C. adopting the Seal of Biliteracy. However, it is still important to analyse the trends critically in every state. Who earns the seal? Multiple local leaders at the district, industry, and university levels have told me that “just speaking a language other than English at home is not enough.” That is, in their perspective, a student is only eligible to receive the Seal of Biliteracy when they take academic courses in a language other than English (through elective foreign language classes or dual language immersion programs). This elitist approach leaves out a large number of students who develop their multilingualism through family and community literacy practices. As a personal example, my children are multilingual speakers of Portuguese and English. There aren’t any K-12 Portuguese language programs in our area, so they cannot claim their biliteracy in their diplomas. They are more likely to earn the seal through taking Spanish as a foreign language in middle and high school than due to using Portuguese throughout their whole lives. #SealOfBiliteracy #MultilingualLearners #PublicPolicies #LinguisticDiversity #Equity

41% — This is the State of Colorado's Minimum Criteria to Demonstrate Effectiveness in Adult Education English Language Programs As someone deeply invested in the field of English language education, I find myself continually questioning the benchmarks we set for success. According to the state's standards, programs only need to show that 41% of participants improve by one level per year to be considered effective. Speaking with the Adult Education Department at one of Colorado's largest community colleges, I learned they reported a gain of only 25% in students advancing a level last year. Meanwhile, another major university reported an average of 49% over the past two years. Why are these rates so low, and why is the state's standard not more ambitious? Is it that the current methods are not effective enough? Or are there other challenges within our education system that we need to address? Could it be the lack of sufficient resources, outdated teaching methodologies, or something else? I believe we can do better and owe it to our learners to aim higher. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts and experiences. Why do you think the effectiveness of these programs is so low, and what can be done to raise both the standards and outcomes? #ESLEducation #AdultEducation #LanguageLearning #EducationalStandards #ProfessionalDevelopment #AEFLA

“When we have more students earning the seal, we move the needle to reverse the historic focus on modern monolingualism education.” Experts at the summit discussed the cognitive and academic benefits of elevating multilingualism through programs like the seal. They also spoke of the work that remains in expanding access to the seal for all students, and English learners in particular. #OELASealofBiliteracy24

What a great article 🤯. To increase participation of the Seal of Biliteracy more awareness needs to be spread on how to get it.

Kick off your summer with our top reading recommendations. From exploring African American vernacular to the intersections of race and English language teaching, we've got something for every educator. See what to add to your TBR! https://bit.ly/3X4742N #SummerReading #ELL #ELs #MLL #Education #EdTech #Booklist #BooksRecs #BooksRecommendations

Some weeks ago – yes, I have been away overseas enjoying the delights of tulips in full bloom, castles at every turn and a relaxing cruise up the Rhine (not as I had thought – down). Anyway, I digress…in a previous post I shared that I had reached out to a fantastic group of scholars and practitioners, asking them to recommend their top individual or co-authored publications for a "Must Read" list in the field of literacy. 📚💡 Although, I am not reading these publications in any particular order, this one just happened to be the first cab off the rank. Thank you, Assoc Prof. Jennifer Helen Alford!   ’Well, hang on, they’re actually much better than that!’: Disrupting dominant discourses of deficit about English language learners in senior high school English. English Teaching, 13(3), pp. 71-88   The paper (2014) is framed within a larger study. This paper explores how four English teachers position their English language learners for critical literacy within senior high school curriculum in Queensland, Australia. There were many parts of this paper that were resonating for me and there are too many to share at this time but here are just a few that I kept coming back to over and over again.   Key Takeaways: Teacher self talk and their own interactions with students are framed by their own thinking about what is possible.   The article promotes a positive shift in perceiving learners and understanding differences, challenging the dominant discourse of deficit about English language learners.   Teaching students how texts work can help break down false beliefs that students who don't speak English as their first language can't understand language deeply or engage with the curriculum.   Questions to Ponder: 1. How can educators effectively identify and value the hidden knowledge and skills of students from diverse backgrounds? 2. What strategies can be implemented to shift the dominant discourse of deficit towards a more positive and inclusive understanding of differences among learners? 3. In what ways can critical literacy be taught to students with varying language proficiencies to ensure equal access to the curriculum? 4. How can educational institutions and policymakers address the issue of "learner deficit" and create a more equitable learning environment for all students? 5. What are the potential long-term impacts of challenging deficit views and recognizing the potential of all students, particularly those from diverse backgrounds? Thanks for your patience...marking and holidays got in the way of getting these posts up and running 😂

"Students need to be valued for what they have and it’s the teacher’s job to build what they don't have." 🍎 📖 🍎 Earlier this month, our #EnglishLearner policy expert Leslie Villegas, MSc spoke with Westat's 𝐀𝐢́𝐝𝐚 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐪𝐮𝐢 to learn how the needs of older newcomers should be addressed to keep them engaged in reading. Is there a place for the #ScienceOfReading to support adolescent students identified as #ELs? How can #educators emphasize meaning-making practices and make content more relevant to older readers? 🗒️ Click over to Leslie's Q&A here: https://lnkd.in/g_eUJAvF Interested in learning more about this topic? Earlier this year, Leslie and partners from SEAL (Sobrato Early Academic Language) discussed how to ensure that all English learners benefit from these new policies and that #K12 #teachers learn to build on the resources these students bring to school. ⏯️ Catch that recording here: https://lnkd.in/gu59rTC4

Belief in destiny or mere coincidence? However you choose to interpret it, the truth remains: the encounter between Kinney Lau and his mother, and Ms. Lucinda Lee Katz (formerly Lucinda Wong) half a century ago has left an indelible mark on the landscape of bilingual education in the United States. In this insightful interview, we take a closer look at the beginnings of a case that transformed the educational trajectory of English learners. In the article below, you'll discover how this fateful meeting ignited a revolution in bilingual education, sparking a wave of research and reshaping perceptions. Additionally, you'll learn about paper-sons and gain insight into discriminatory policies that occurred in the US. Read the interview here: https://lnkd.in/dsC4AT_M Listen to the interview here: https://lnkd.in/dT7TPfgn #BilingualEducation #TransformativeEncounters #EducationalHistory #DestinyOrCoincidence

In the end, it’s about student engagement and self-discovery, which leads to solid communicative competency and confidence in one’s own ideas 💡

Ensuring newcomer students receive equitable English language instruction is becoming more critical as their numbers grow. A November 2023 report from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University highlighted the educational struggles of high school newcomers in Massachusetts in trying to master both a new language and content standards simultaneously.  Here are some eye-opening facts from the report: 📓 Over half of newcomers to Massachusetts schools in recent years are ages 16-18. The number of high school newcomer students has tripled in the last 15 years. 📓 Newcomers are arriving with lower levels of English proficiency than before and are more heterogeneous in both their language and schooling backgrounds.  📓 Less than 30% of newcomers meet their yearly targets on the WIDA ACCESS, and only 21% exit and redesignate. 📓  Despite their challenges, more than half of newcomers graduate within a year of their expected date. However, the continuing high rate of dropouts and declining college enrollment mean more work still needs to be done. Both these factors contribute to more limited career choices and reduced future earning power.  Massachusetts is not alone in these trends. Many states across the U.S., especially surrounding major cities, are seeing more newcomers and struggling to ensure successful academic outcomes for these students. Language Tree Online’s standards-based Newcomers ELD program is designed to support the unique needs of newcomers in the secondary grades. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eS9hj7ic #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish