ESSA Increases State DSS Funding

Every Student Succeeds Act – ESSA In December of 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the latest update to federal education law and a bipartisan bill that aims to repair “the overuse of standardized tests and one-size-fits all mandates” and to empower “states and school districts to develop their own strategies for improvement.” One provision of … Read More

New Research Links Bilingualism with Better Attention and Self Control

New Research Links Bilingualism with Better Attention and Self Control Bilingualism has long been considered something of an advantage. Children who are taught to learn multiple languages are often better prepared for their lives ahead, not just for the reason that they can converse with people from diverse backgrounds in other countries, but because bilingualism is often an indication of … Read More

Helpful Resources for English Learners in Florida

The state of Florida had 277,802 ELL students in their public school system as of 2012-2013. That figure represents just over 10% of the children enrolled in grades K-12. The largest concentration of ELLs is found in Dade County with an estimated 66,497 students. Among the state’s ELL population, 72% speak Spanish, with Haitian, Portuguese, Arabic, and Vietnamese rounding out … Read More

Where are All the English Learners?

English Language Learners – ELLs English Language Learners (ELLs) are the fastest growing section of the U.S. student population today. The National Council of Teachers of English shares that “ELLs now comprise 10.5 percent of the nation’s K–12 enrollment, up from 5 percent in 1990.” While ELLs are a diverse group of students who have varying socio-economic standing and language … Read More

What are the New Rules for ELLs in NYC Schools?

In 2016, the New York City Department of Education set forth new standards and rules for English language instruction in all schools. These new rules were intended to guarantee additional language instruction and support to New York’s growing ELL population but, unfortunately, as Parent Herald puts it, “New York schools are having a difficult time implementing these rules.” Read on to learn … Read More

Links and Resources for English Language Learners in Washington

The state of Washington has an ELL population of 107,307 students in the public school system. With a total enrollment of 1,051,694, ELLs make up just over 10% of the students enrolled in grades K-12. The five languages spoken by ELLs are Spanish, followed by Russian, Vietnamese, Somali, and Chinese. The following is a list of useful resources and programs … Read More

Useful Support Resources for ELL Students in New York

In the state of New York, ELL enrollment was 237,499 students in the state public school system in 2012-2013, making up over 14% of the classroom population. 61% of all ELL students in the state speak Spanish, with Chinese, Arabic, Bengali, and Haitian representing the next four most common spoken languages at 19% combined. The following is a list of … Read More

Resourceful Programs in Illinois for ELL Students

With an approximate ELL enrollment of 9.2% among grades K-12, Illinois has 190,172 English Language Learners in the state public school system as of years 2012-2013. 80% of ELL students in Illinois speak Spanish, with Arabic, Polish, Chinese, and Urdu making up the majority of the most common languages spoken by these families, in that order. The following is a … Read More