NCELA News

White House Task Force on New AmericansAnnounces Bright Spots in Welcoming and Integration, and Releases Report. The Bright Spots report celebrates and details the successes of the Task Force’s Building Welcoming Communities Campaign; honors local communities for their work in building welcoming communities through civic, economic, and linguistic integration; and describes their best practices in those areas. U.S. Department of Education AnnouncesIntroduction of Stronger Together School Diversity Act. The bill, introduced by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) and Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (Ohio-11), builds on President Obama’s FY 2017 Stronger Together budget and consists of a voluntary program to support the development and expansion of community-driven strategies to increase diversity in America’s schools. It is a response to recent Government Accountability Office findings that show the number of socioeconomic and racially segregated schools increasing, negatively impacting students nationwide. The data show that poor, segregated schools receive fewer resources, offer students fewer educational opportunities, and take more disciplinary actions. The goals in expanding socioeconomic and racial diversity in schools are to reverse these trends and help future generations of students receive the education they deserve. U.S. Department of Education Offers Seven Quotes from Math Teacher Jaime Escalante.The Department offers this blog post in celebration of a new commemorative stamp honoring the late, legendary educator, the subject of the film “Stand and Deliver.” Escalante, who was born in Bolivia and passed away in 2010 from cancer, “was known for his outstanding work in teaching calculus from 1974 to 1991 at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, California,” according to the Newcomers Tool Kit. National Center for Educational Outcomes 2013-14 publicly reported assessment results for students with disabilities and ELLs with disabilities. This report presents performance data for students with disabilities (and specifically, ELs with disabilities) for all general assessments for the 50 states and 11 “unique” states such as the District of Columbia and American Samoa. Education Week What English language learners wish teachers knew. This blog post underlines points that would assist teachers in educating ELs. Lesson-sharing site for English-language-learner teachers on the horizon. This post highlights a new website which will serve as a resource bank for ideas for educating ELs and students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). New America Sink or swim: The American attitude towards English learners. This article discusses how current education policies may limit ELs’ ability to access equal opportunities in education The Hechinger Report Schools are under federal pressure to translate for immigrant parents. This article looks at district-level efforts to provide legally required translation services to families, through a focus on New York State’s Syracuse City School District. The Journal Gazette Program helps foreign families. This article highlights a refugee from Darfur and how she has gone from a struggling parent to one who helps others adjust to life in the United States. EdSource New teaching strategies are designed to help English learners succeed. This report highlights schools in Fresno and Sacramento, California, and the teaching methods they employ to help increase student achievement for ELs. Multi Briefs: Exclusive Contrastive grammar for ESL teachers: Part 1. This instructional article discusses the importance of understanding the structure of a student’s home language when teaching a new language. The Huffington Post Middle school bullies are tough. They’re even worse if you’re a Syrian refugee. This article is part of a series following a family of Syrian refugees and their experiences starting over in the United States. Language Magazine Duke University program targets English language learners. This article discusses a newly developed method for teaching ELs called Developing Consultation and Collaboration Skills (DCCS). Washington Monthly California acts to cultivate bilingual teaching force. New state legislation may pave the way for more multilingual education programs. The article looks at efforts to boost numbers of bilingual educators. How one Mississippi community copes with influx of Hispanic students. This article discusses the increase in ELs in Morton, Mississippi, and how some educators there are attempting to provide educational access with limited educational funding. Voices of San Diego What’s stopping more schools from replicating Sherman Elementary’s success with bilingual ed?This article highlights a bilingual program that surpasses average outcomes on English acquisition rates and language proficiency.

TransACT Communication, OCR/DOJ Joint EL Guidance Webinar Series, August 31, 3:00–4:00 p.m. PT. This is the next open session in a monthly, year-long series that focuses on the issues addressed in the Dear Colleague Letter on ELs published in January 2015 by the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, and the U.S. Department of Justice. The series will also cover material provided in the EL Tool Kit published by OELA, and has been updated to include ESSA requirements. Colorado Association for Bilingual Education (CABE), CABE 2016: Multilingual Voices por un mundo mejor!, September 14-15, 2016, Westminster, Colorado. This year’s conference includes state and national experts leading meaningful professional development sessions that focus on equity and achievement, science-technology-engineering-arts-mathematics, and “simultaneous bilinguals, the new American reality.” Excelencia in Education, Accelerating Latino Student Success (ALASS) Workshop, September 21–22, 2015, Washington, DC.Register for interactive sessions with innovative professionals from across the country sharing effective institutional strategies, powerful analysis, and new resources. Early bird registration ends July 31. Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), 13th Annual ALAS Education Summit: Leading and Learning in a Digital Era, October 12–15, 2016, Philadelphia, PA. The conference will focus on how technology can help support and advance instruction to promote Latino student and EL achievement. Each session will emphasize student-centered, data-driven approaches. WIDA 2016 National Conference. Drawing on Life’s Experiences: Designing Bright Futures,October 12-15, 2016, Philadelphia, PA.Administrators and educators of pre-K through grade 12 language learners will find opportunities for professional learning, idea sharing, relationship building, and strategic collaboration. The Division for Early Childhood (DEC), 32nd Annual International DEC Conference, October 16–20, 2016, Louisville, KY. This year’s conference—with the theme “A Winning Trifecta: Knowledge, Implementation, and Evaluation of DEC Recommended Practices”—features leading experts from around the world in early intervention, early childhood special education, and related disciplines. University of Minnesota, Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA),Sixth International Conference on Immersion and Dual Language Education, October 20–22, 2016, Minneapolis, MN. The conference will focus on connecting research and practice, and engaging in research-informed dialogue and professional exchanges, across languages and contexts. La Cosecha, 21st Annual Dual Language Conference, November 9–12, 2016, Santa Fe, NM. La Cosecha 2016 will bring together educators, parents, researchers, and practitioners supporting dual language enrichment programs from across the country. Pearson SIOP® Institute II, October 20–21, 2016, St Louis, MO. Learn successful coaching and implementation practices at this two-day workshop designed for educators who are currently using the SIOP® Model in their schools or classrooms. Bank Street College of Education, The Language Series: 2016, November 18–19, 2016, New York, NY. The Language Series supports educators in understanding the critical role that language plays in the social and academic success of all students. The focus of the fall event is using the social language of our students for academic language development. Pearson SIOP® Institute I, December 8–10, 2016, San Diego, CA. Learn how to effectively implement the SIOP® Model to teach academic language and content knowledge at the same time. TESOL, Fundamentals of TESOL, Self-Study.This is a self-paced, individualized learning experience. Additional self-study classes and scheduled online courses can be found on TESOL’s website. Bentley University, Waltham, MA, is seeking anAdjunct Lecturer in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) to teach expository writing to fully matriculated undergraduate students during the fall 2016 semester. Santa Clara County Office of Education, CA, is seeking a Multilingual Education Services Coordinator. The application deadline is on August 8, 2016. Next Step Public Charter School, Washington, DC, seeks an English-Spanish Bilingual Case Manager. Texas A&M University–Commerce is seeking a tenure-track Assistant Professor (Posting # F00068FY) to teach graduate and undergraduate bilingual/ESL education courses. The Bridgeton Public School District, NJ, is seeking a District Supervisor of Bilingual Education, Bilingual Teachers, and ESL Teacher. Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, VA, is accepting applications forImmersion, World Language, and ESOL teachers.