Learning the Language

Blog on Summer Break

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:10:24 -0500

I'm taking a vacation and will take a break from blogging until Monday, July 27....

What Do You Think an Ideal Teacher of ELLs Knows and Can Do?

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:15:00 -0500

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards seeks public input on a new set of standards for "teachers of English as a new language." The window for comment is July 13-26.

WIDA Tally: Hawaii Joins Testing Consortium

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:00:14 -0500

Hawaii joins 18 other states and the District of Columbia in deciding to use the English-language-proficiency test most commonly used by states: Access for ELLs.

Council on Foreign Relations' Task Force Backs 'DREAM' Act

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:30:43 -0500

A task force of the Council on Foreign Relations endorses the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, or "Dream" Act, in its recommendations for comprehensive immigration reform.

Trend Watch: Budget Cuts Mean Loss of Bilingual-Parent Liaisons

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:02:28 -0500

Prince George's County school system in Maryland is laying off some of its bilingual parent liaisons, who were placed in schools to help boost parent involvement.

Undocumented Students' Advocate Is Principal of New Charter School

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:20:08 -0500

An advocate of undocumented students who was fired from her job as a principal of an early-college high school in Arizona last December has a new job as a principal of a new charter school that will open in the fall.

The Strengths of Latino Families

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:15:10 -0500

Did you know that Latino children begin school with strong social and emotional skills that are quite similar to those of children from middle-class white families? Did you know that math scores for first-generation Latinos in elementary school are strong,...

Walter Lara Gets a Postponement on His Deportation

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:27:41 -0500

Walter Lara, 23, a graduate of Miami Dade College, gets a postponement on his deportation, which was scheduled for July 6.

Next Step in Horne v. Flores: Is Arizona's Program for ELLs Working?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:19:22 -0500

The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Horne v. Flores, a case concerning English-language learners in Arizona, touches on a lot of the big questions that educators of these students have been discussing for decades. (Find my EdWeek article about the...

Wisconsin Provides In-State Tuition Rates to Undocumented Students

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:44:26 -0500

Wisconsin becomes the 11th state to permit undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates at state universities.

The Aftermath of the Storm in Storm Lake

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:43:00 -0500

The Storm Lake school district in Iowa reviewed and revised its policies on English-language learners after a student of Lao descent refused to take and English-language-proficiency test because she believed she was fluent in English.

Away from Blogging Until July 1

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:11:01 -0500

I'm out of the office on a reporting assignment. Look for posts again on this blog on July 1....

The U.S. Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Arizona Officials

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:28:02 -0500

Update: Read my article about the U.S Supreme Court's ruling on Horne v. Flores here. I'm busy writing an article about the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling today on Horne v. Flores. The court remanded the case back to the lower...

Study: Latino Teens Benefit From Sharing Two Cultures With Parents

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0500

Latino adolescents are happier and healthier if both they and their parents have one foot firmly planted in Latino culture and the other in U.S. culture, a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has...

ELL Grad Rate in New York City Rises 10 Percentage Points

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:29:48 -0500

I've pointed out in articles or blog entries about half a dozen times over the last half year how New York City has an abysmally low graduation rate for ELLs. So it's only fair that I report that the graduation...