https://www.colorincolorado.org/feeds/ellnews.xml en https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/federal-english-learner-grant-returns-this-fall-under-new-oversight/2026/07 A federal grant program for professional development focused on working with English learners will continue this fall with a new cohort of projects, and new priorities, including letters of endorsement from governors and state education officials. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:23:36 EDT Colorin Colorado https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/federal-english-learner-grant-returns-this-fall-under-new-oversight/2026/07 https://www.npr.org/2026/07/26/nx-s1-5825798/robot-speaks-endangered-native-american-languages SkoBots use a form of artificial intelligence to speak Indigenous languages, and they're small enough to mount on the user's shoulder. They sort of resemble mini R2-D2 droids, from Star Wars, except these robots are designed to look like woodland creatures and decorated in Native American florals. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:23:04 EDT Colorin Colorado https://www.npr.org/2026/07/26/nx-s1-5825798/robot-speaks-endangered-native-american-languages https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/66507/adults-have-struggled-to-set-rules-for-ai-in-school-these-teens-figured-it-out Should students be allowed to use AI on assignments? What about on tests? Who should teach AI literacy? About 100 teenagers got together to try to decide. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:22:26 EDT Colorin Colorado https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/66507/adults-have-struggled-to-set-rules-for-ai-in-school-these-teens-figured-it-out https://edsource.org/2026/ca-tk-language-screeners/763008 California schools now have two screening instruments that use playful games and stories to test 4-year-olds’ language skills without making them cry. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:22:04 EDT Colorin Colorado https://edsource.org/2026/ca-tk-language-screeners/763008 https://www.eschoolnews.com/innovative-teaching/2026/07/29/dont-forget-natures-classroom/ Outdoor learning environments support skills that are difficult to cultivate through traditional classroom instruction alone. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:21:36 EDT Colorin Colorado https://www.eschoolnews.com/innovative-teaching/2026/07/29/dont-forget-natures-classroom/ https://edsource.org/podcast/should-the-university-of-california-bring-back-the-sat Thousands of UC STEM professors have signed an open letter calling on UC to again require the SAT or ACT for admissions. They say they are seeing more and more students arriving to college so poorly prepared that they can’t solve middle-school math equations. But not all faculty agree that reinstating standardized tests would help with the lack of preparation. Many are concerned that requiring the SAT or ACT could exclude students from less privileged backgrounds. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:20:54 EDT Colorin Colorado https://edsource.org/podcast/should-the-university-of-california-bring-back-the-sat https://www.edweek.org/leadership/ice-raids-are-making-emergency-contacts-essential-for-schools/2026/07 It’s standard practice for school districts to collect emergency contact information when families enroll their children in school and update that information every year. Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:59:03 EDT Colorin Colorado https://www.edweek.org/leadership/ice-raids-are-making-emergency-contacts-essential-for-schools/2026/07 https://www.slj.com/story/33-fantastic-graphic-novels-from-faith-erin-hicks-pedro-martin-and-dan-santat-slj-2026-stars-so-far From long-awaited sequels to brand-new offerings from favorite authors, these titles for tweens and teens won't remain long on bookshelves. Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:57:56 EDT Colorin Colorado https://www.slj.com/story/33-fantastic-graphic-novels-from-faith-erin-hicks-pedro-martin-and-dan-santat-slj-2026-stars-so-far https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/how-local-innovations-are-fueling-native-american-graduation-gains-at-federally-funded-schools During his senior year of high school on the Puyallup Reservation, Gerald Dillon traded much of his academic coursework for career training. When he walked into the second grade classroom where he worked as a teaching assistant, students would rush from their seats for a fist bump or a hug. Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:57:20 EDT Colorin Colorado https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/how-local-innovations-are-fueling-native-american-graduation-gains-at-federally-funded-schools https://languagemagazine.com/2026/07/17/bilingualism-delays-brain-aging-by-6-years/ New research suggests that the more languages people speak, the younger their brains appear. Learning more languages, especially when younger, and achieving fluency in a second language also seem to slow brain aging. Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:56:32 EDT Colorin Colorado https://languagemagazine.com/2026/07/17/bilingualism-delays-brain-aging-by-6-years/