English Language Learners
Adolescent English Language Learners (ELL) are among the most at- risk students in our country, particularly students in Grades K-12. Despite being one of the country’s highest education priorities, school reformers have mostly overlooked the needs of the large and growing English ELL population. As a result there is relatively little guidance on how best to meet the varied and challenging literacy needs of adolescent ELLs.
To address this research deficit the Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy established a study group led by the Center for Applied Linguistics to examine academic literacy, a crucial component of in-school success. Academic literacy includes reading, writing and oral discourse and varies from subject to subject. It requires knowledge of multiple genres of text; purposes for text use and text media; is influenced by students’ literacies in contexts outside of school as well as their personal, social and cultural experiences.
A summary of the panel’s findings was published as Double the Work: Challenges and Solutions to Acquiring Language and Academic Literacy for Adolescent English Language Learners.
English Language Learners are second language learners who are still developing their proficiency in academic English. While they are learning English they are also studying core content areas through English. Thus, ELLs must perform of native English speakers.
The Corporation funded a number of initiatives to underscore the importance of this issue, including the Center for Applied Linguistics and the Migration Policy Institute to underscore the gravity of the situation. In addition, Carnegie has recently partnered with the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) to develop formative assessments for English Language Learners.
Featured Publications
Report to the Corporation
Double the Work: Challenges and Solutions to Acquiring Language and Academic Literacy for Adolescent English Language Learners
Authored by Dr. Deborah J. Short and Shannon Fitzsimmons of the Center for Applied Linguistics, and informed by a distinguished panel of researchers, policymakers and practitioners, Double the Work discusses the diversity of the English language...
Report to the Corporation
Measures of Change: The Demography and Literacy of
In 2002, passage of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act marked a turn in the nation’s approach to educating children who do not speak English well, many of whom are immigrants or the children of immigrants. NCLB placed new responsibilities on...
Carnegie Reporter
Carnegie Reporter Vol. 4/No. 2
In this issue: Educating Immigrant Students. The Lost (and Found) Voters of Hurricane Katrina. At the Heart of South Africa, a Constitution and a Court. A Timeless University Trains Teachers for a New Era. Help for Beginning Teachers. ...
Challenge Paper
Immigrant Students, Urban High Schools: The Challenge Continues
The United States is closing the 20th century the way it began, with a large influx of immigrants who are not only reshaping the country’s ethnic composition but once again challenging the nation’s schools to find new and innovative ways to help...
Essay
Principals Can Help Improve Literacy for English Learners
This past October, the United States marked the arrival of its 300 millionth citizen with fanfare. Our nation is fortunate to have a young and vibrant demographic that will allow us to keep our competitive edge and compete in the global economy. But...
Report
Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners: Research-Based Recommendations for Serving Adolescent Newcomers
This book, released in October 2006, is the second in a series of three Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. This document was written primarily for the group of ELLs who are adolescent newcomers to the United States...
Report
Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners: Research-Based Recommendations for the Use of Accommodations in Large-Scale Assessments
This book, released in October 2006, is the third in a series of three Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. NCLB has increased awareness of the academic needs and achievement of ELLs as schools, districts, and states...
Report
Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners: Research-Based Recommendations for Instruction and Academic Intervention
This book, released in October 2006, is the first in a series of three Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners. It provides evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, administrators, and teachers in K-12 settings...
Contact
Andrés Henríquez
Program Officer, Urban Education, National Program
Related Publications
Testimony of Andrés Henríquez to the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives
Informing Writing: The Benefits of Formative Assessment
The report uses the powerful statistical method of meta-analysis to determine that classroom-based writing assessmentscan help students improve their writing skills. Additionally, these “formative” assessments, as they are called, allow teachers to... Read more
