States with Alternative Tests for ELLs

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE–Staff members of the U.S. Department of Education have provided me with a factual statement about states that have alternative tests for English-language learners for calculating adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act—and full story

Oregon Suspends Use of Aprenda–a Spanish-Language Test

LEARNING THE LANGAUGE–Oregon has become the latest state to stop using an alternative test for English-language learners because federal education officials have questioned its comparability with the state’s regular test. A number of states have already dropped alternative tests for English-language learners for the same reason. full story

It’s Carnival Time

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE–For this 8th edition of the ELL/ESL/EFL carnival, bloggers provide answers to some of the questions I presume that educators of English-learners might have. OK, I admit that the first question may not exactly have been on the tip of your tongue, but it could help some ELL teachers to stretch in how they engage students. full story

What the Feds Said About ‘Supplement Not Supplant’ for Title III

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE–I hope you’ve had a chance to read my reports on this blog of what officials from the U.S. Department of Education have been saying about the “supplement-not-supplant” provision of Title III, the section of the No Child Left Behind Act that authorizes funds for English-language-acquisition programs. The provision says that money from Title III full story

Expansion of Family Literacy Centers

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE—The National Center for Family Literacy has announced that it will expand its family literacy centers for Hispanic and immigrant families to five new cities. They are: Las Vegas, Las Cruces, N.M.; Long Beach, Calif.; Memphis, Tenn.; and full story

Oregon Voters Rejected Measure Limiting Services to ELLs

LEARNING THE LANGAUGE–As Campaign K-12 reports, Oregon voters have rejected Measure 58, a state ballot measure that would have put a cap of two years on the amount of time English-language learners could receive instruction in their native language. It seemed that it would have also put a cap of two years on English-as-a-second-language instruction  full story  complete coverage

School Responses to Immigration Raids

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE–A school district in Texas used to have a standard practice of keeping the names of two adults on file who are authorized to pick up a student. Now, after an immigration raid in that district’s community, the school system requires each family to keep the names of 10 authorized adults on file. That’s an example of how some school administrators full story

What CAN Title III Funds Be Spent On?

LEARNING THE LANGAUGE–At the LEP Partnership meeting last week, several U.S. Department of Education officials spelled out for state education officials what federal Title III funds cannot be spent on. But I came away wondering what the funds CAN be spent on. Title III is the part of the No Child Left Behind Act that authorizes funds for English-language-acquisition programs. full story