Language Minority Students

Research related to effective educational policies and practices for language minority students (English language learners).

Resource Needs for English Learners: Getting Down to Policy Recommendations

This resource guide sets the foundation of English Learners in California and identifies seven factors that manifest an inferior education for this population of students. Relevant policy recommendations discuss a variety of factors from funding, accountability, infrastructure and teacher training and development.

Alternative Instructional Models of Effective Bilingual Education

There are ongoing educational and political debates about the best ways of assuring that EL students succeed academically and that they acquire basic academic as well as conversational English and grade-level appropriate literacy skills. An important shift in this debate around the education of EL students is from a singular focus on the question, “Should students be instructed in English or Spanish?” to a focus on “What is the optimal instructional environment?” In many ways, this shift reflects a broader national concern with instructional quality and student outcomes. Yet there is not widespread agreement about which approaches are best with which learners or whether there are multiple approaches that can achieve acceptable student outcomes. Educators and policymakers have a pressing need for guidance in determining which approaches are effective with which students (Goldenberg, 2006), guidance that requires a systematic examination of programs that have had success in educating EL students and the factors make them successful in a specific local context.

Limited English Proficient Students: Increased Accountability Under NCLB

This policy brief provides information for practitioners and policymakers on how the NCLB requirements affect LEP students and their schools and explores some of the unintended consequences of the legislation. Although both Title I3 and Title III4 of NCLB apply to LEP students, this brief focuses on the accountability provisions outlined in Title I, which have generated the most controversy. The brief is divided into three sections. The first section summarizes the NCLB Title I accountability requirements that specifically affect LEP students. The next section answers commonly asked questions about the legislation and LEP students. A final section defines issues that need to be considered as the conversation about NCLB and LEP students continues.

A Preliminary Evaluation of Mexican-sponsored Educational Programs in the United States: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Potential

This paper was initially submitted to the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores in Mexico, December 2004, and also presented at the Second Binational Symposium in Mexico City at the UPN.

What Works for the Children? What We Know and Don't Know About Bilingual Education

English Language Learners (ELLs), also known as limited English proficient (LEP) students face significant barriers to obtaining quality education. While research findings have not yet indicated how best to address the issues ELLs face, schools must provide some type of support to help them overcome these barriers. Current policy debates about how to improve education for ELLs have turned into battles over whether to implement one-year English immersion programs or bilingual education programs.