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Creating Pathways for Lifelong Learners


In recent years, a number of states have promoted the creation of pathways to make it easier for secondary students to matriculate into postsecondary institutions. Educational leaders see these pathways as a means to provide more access and opportunities to students, as well as mitigate issues associated with declining college enrollments and funding.

At the same time, according to the data collected by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), language programs in postsecondary institutions are experiencing their own challenges, evident in a decline of more than 10% in enrollments and students majoring in a language. To some, pathways for language students can be seen as a threat to the traditional matriculation of students into their lower-level courses. However, language programs can leverage the proficiency of entering students not only to sustain their programs but also to expand their current offerings.

Seals of Biliteracy Lay the Foundation for Pathway Programs

The State Seals of Biliteracy were created for graduating high school students to demonstrate their biliteracy skills and bridge the gap between K–12 and higher ed. Hundreds of thousands of students have earned state seals.

In California, the San Bernardino County Schools offer Avant Assessment’s STAMP tests for districts to deliver in October to qualify students for the State Seal of Biliteracy, which allows students to include their seals on their college applications.

Each state has different requirements for earning the State Seal of Biliteracy, which creates a challenge for universities to evaluate what each seal means for advanced placement or credit.

It is also becoming more common to award students both the State Seal and the Global Seal of Biliteracy. The Global Seal can supplement the critical state government recognition of language skills with a uniform standard, making it easier for higher ed to evaluate incoming students’ levels of proficiency.

Bridge Programs

The Bridge Program for Advanced Language Learning in Utah builds a pathway for dual language immersion (DLI) students from elementary through to university. In this program, a university professor teaches upper-division language courses in high schools alongside the high school teacher. This way, after DLI students pass the AP test as nineth graders, they can take three upper-division courses and graduate with a nearly complete minor in the language. The Bridge Program is available to anyone who has passed the AP test (DLI, SHL, or secondary world language students) and allows universities to attract more students to their language programs and for students to be rewarded for their proficiency.

Five Steps to Expanding and Accelerating Programs Using Assessment

A recent approach to expanding enrollments and accelerating language programs is gaining traction in many universities.

  • Step 1: Use external tests to assess students at the end of each sequence to create baselines at each level.
  • Step 2: Using test results, set proficiency goals for each level within the program.
  • Step 3: The goals set in step two define pathways for students to visualize their paths and what they can achieve by remaining in the program.
  • Step 4: Once pathways are defined, they can be promoted with K–12 programs to recruit graduating high school students.
  • Step 5: Credential students at various points with the Global Seal of Biliteracy (intermediate-mid, advanced-low, and advanced-high) and the Global Seal Pathway Awards (novice-mid, novice-high, and intermediate-low) to create more incentives for them to stay in the language program and increase enrollment.

University administrators are already seeking ways to increase enrollments and improve retention, so they have welcomed these steps once they have seen the data that support them. The Department of Modern Languages at the University of Texas at Arlington provides a great example of a group of dedicated leaders who worked together to develop pathways in their language program. On the initiative of Dr. Iya Price, departmental faculty collaborated with both university and local school district leadership to institute this program.

UTA’s Modern Languages Department has clearly identified the expected proficiency level for each sequence and students’ goals. Incoming students can submit either their STAMP scores from high school testing or their Global Seals of Biliteracy to receive up to 14 credit hours in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Korean, Russian, or Spanish. To obtain these credits, students must enroll in one language course, pass it, and then receive retroactive credit for any courses skipped. Students entering with intermediate-mid to intermediate-high levels need only three additional language courses to obtain a minor.

UTA awards students the Global Seal of Biliteracy when they obtain intermediate-mid, advanced-low, and advanced-high levels of proficiency. By building these pathways, students can add a language minor or major while completing a degree in any other field.
Language pathways take buy-in from a number of stakeholders in order to be both wide reaching and successful. The benefits to all of the stakeholders involved far outweigh the challenges.

Roger Burt, MA, is a former high school Spanish teacher in Davis School District (Utah), where he served his district as lead AP teacher, first-year mentor teacher, curriculum team leader, and assessment team leader. Roger earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Spanish teaching from Weber State and Southern Oregon University, respectively. He lived in Mexico for two years developing a love for the people and culture, and later did his master’s coursework there.

Nick Gossett, PhD, is the higher education specialist for Avant Assessment. He has over a decade of experience in the field of language assessment and spent nearly two decades working in higher education. Currently, he works with language programs to help them institute the best practices in language assessment.

Supporting Early Literacy in Spanish and English

Building early literacy skills is imperative for all students, especially the five million English learners (ELs) being educated in today’s public schools.1 The mastery of these skills—including oral language, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and use of phonics—helps ELs develop the strong reading foundation needed for grade-level learning and success across all subject areas. Whether these early literacy skills are taught in students’ first languages or the target language of English, they are critical to ensuring students’ long-term success.

By the Numbers: The Need to Support ELs
Data shows Hispanic students experienced greater unfinished learning in reading, as well as math, over the last two years due to the pandemic. The Understanding Student Learning: Insights from Fall 2021 report found schools serving majority Hispanic students saw almost double the amount of unfinished learning in third-grade reading and math over these two years as compared to schools serving majority White students.2 The percentage of Hispanic students who are behind grew by 14 points, according to i-Ready Assessment data.

Californians Together also cites that of the 1.15 million EL students in California alone, 200,000 of these students are classified as long-term English learners (LTELs)—EL students who have been in US schools for six or more years without reaching the levels of English proficiency needed to be reclassified.3 Another 130,000 ELs in the state are considered at risk of becoming LTELs, according to the organization.

These numbers reinforce the immediate need to address foundational reading skills with EL students. So, what exactly can educators do to support ELs when it comes to their early literacy development?

Understanding the Differences
The Overview of Reading white paper in development by Curriculum Associates delves into the many aspects of teaching reading in both English and Spanish. It, importantly, reminds educators that:

• Learning to read is not an automatic process

• Reading requires learning the codes of the language

• There are distinct differences between early literacy development in Spanish and English

To effectively teach reading in both Spanish and English, it is first important for educators to really understand the distinct differences between the two languages—especially since the two languages can appear fairly similar. Likewise, it is important for educators to teach these differences to students.

To begin with, English has 26 letters in the alphabet and 44 phonemes or sounds, whereas Spanish has 27 letters and 22–24 phonemes.

The white paper describes English as “an opaque language” that is highly irregular and does not have a one-to-one grapheme–sound correlation. For example, the letter a has many sounds, as in above /ə/, pat /æ/, late /eɪ/.”

Spanish is described as “a more transparent language,” meaning that “the correlation between a letter and sound is regular, one-to-one, and highly consistent.” An a is always /a/, for example.

Focusing on Phonological Awareness
The white paper goes on to say that the languages’ different phonologies can impact students’ phonological awareness, or their ability to “identify and manipulate various pieces of oral language, such as sentences, words, syllables, and individual sounds.”

With this in mind, educators should always try to remain authentic to the phonology of each language when teaching. Educators should also work to deliver intentional, explicit, and systematic instruction to support biliteracy. And, for skill development, educators should provide opportunities for students to make cross-language connections and develop metalinguistic knowledge.

Implementing an appropriate scope and sequence focused on phonological awareness can effectively support this type of instruction. To support ELs and literacy instruction in dual-language classrooms, a phonological awareness scope and sequence should ideally:

• Address the skills students need to be successful in both Spanish and English

• Include lessons that focus on one skill at a time

• Provide the opportunity for educators to instruct on these skills and time for students to practice these skills

• Continually build upon skills and understanding students learned in prior lessons

• Keep students engaged and focused throughout the learning process

The scope and sequence should also include lessons that focus on one phonological awareness skill—such as rhyming, blending, segmenting, isolating, manipulating, and stressed syllable—at a time to help support and accelerate students’ progress. When choosing high-quality lessons, educators should additionally look for ones that feature:

• High-utility, grade-appropriate words

• Opportunities for blending letter sounds and syllables

• Engaging, alliterative text

• Decodable text experiences for students

• Culturally relevant stories and illustrations

In early Spanish reading instruction, it is effective to teach students about vowels first. Once these letters are mastered, educators can move to high-frequency consonants. This helps students more easily decode words and apply letter–sound associations to words with target sounds as they read.

Providing Support in Both Languages
In addition to the strategies above, it is important to remember that emerging bilingual students do best when they are supported in both English and Spanish. The study “English Reading Growth in Spanish-Speaking Bilingual Students: Moderating Effect of English Proficiency on Cross-Linguistic Influence” found students whose native language is Spanish and who had early reading skills in Spanish showed greater growth in their ability to read English.4

According to the study, students who spoke Spanish and had stronger Spanish reading skills in kindergarten also performed better across time.

These findings further reinforce the need—and benefit—of educators teaching reading in both languages. Since some literacy skills can transfer across languages, educators can help students use what they have mastered in Spanish to support reading in English, and vice versa.

For example, once students learn that the prefix im- means “not” in both Spanish and English, they will quickly be able to add more words—such as impossible/imposible and impatient/impaciente—to their reading vocabulary.

Teaching students to read is a complex process. And teaching EL students to read in two languages at the same time can undoubtedly provide additional complexities. However, by delivering explicit and systematic instruction and utilizing the right strategies and resources, educators can help ELs develop the strong reading skills—in both Spanish and English—needed for ongoing success.

Links
1. National Center for Education Statistics (2021). “English Language Learners in Public Schools.” https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgf

2. Curriculum Associates (2021). Understanding Student Learning: Insights from Fall 2021. www.curriculumassociates.com/-/media/mainsite/files/i-ready/iready-understanding-student-learning-paper-fall-results-2021.pdf

3. Californians Together. Long Term English Learners. https://californianstogether.org/long-term-english-learners

4. Relyea, J., and Amendum, S. (2019). “English Reading Growth in Spanish-Speaking Bilingual Students: Moderating Effect of English Proficiency on Cross-Linguistic Influence.” https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.13288

Claudia Salinas is the vice president of English learning at Curriculum Associates (www.curriculumassociates.com) and the regional manager for Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas. She is responsible for helping school leaders meet the needs of their English and struggling learners by bringing research-based professional development, assessments, and standards-based instructional materials into school districts.

California Allocates $10 Million Dual Language Grant


A total of 27 schools and school districts in California have been selected through a competitive grant process to receive up to $400,000 each to expand a current dual language immersion program or establish a new one.

“I applaud these schools for taking the initiative to invest in their dual language immersion programs,” California’s State Superintendent Tony Thurmond said. “Schools with strong dual language immersion programs are proven to promote strong academic performance among students from all backgrounds and, in the end, prepare our students for college and careers in a highly competitive global marketplace where speaking more than one language is a critical skill.”

The Dual Language Immersion Grant (DLIG) was established by Assembly Bill (AB) 130, Chapter 44, Section 158 of the Statutes of 2021, to expand access to quality dual language learning and foster languages that English learners bring to California’s education system. It requires grantees to provide integrated language learning and academic instruction in elementary and secondary schools for native speakers of English and native speakers of another language with the goals of high academic achievement, first- and second-language proficiency, and cross-cultural understanding. Superintendent Thurmond has been a strong proponent of dual language immersion even as an Assemblymember, authoring AB 2514 (Chapter 763, Statues of 2018).

The DLIG will fund the expansion or establishment of dual language immersion programs at a total of 55 schools throughout California, contributing toward the goal of 1,600 dual language immersion schools set by the Global California 2030 Initiative. Grant recipients will make use of DLIG funding for teacher and administrator professional development, purchase or development of instructional materials and resources, bilingual teacher recruitment, and family and student outreach.

For more information on the DLIG or to view grant recipients, visit https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r28/dlig21result.asp.

Connecting Reading with Writing

Every semester as I prepare my classes, I ponder the same questions: Why does our academic English as a second language (ESL) program require so many reading and writing classes before students can enter transfer-level English classes? As reading instructors, why are we forced to choose from textbooks that often seem to exclude fiction and focus mainly on reading strategies and skills that include countless lists of vocabulary words which students have difficulty retaining? As writing instructors, why don’t we integrate more reading, both fiction and nonfiction, to teach writing skills and improve reading comprehension skills simultaneously? I believe many teachers have concluded that they can make students become better writers by helping them find their own voices and by teaching them critical thinking strategies; likewise, they believe they can turn students into better readers by developing their patterns of comprehension and helping them identify a text’s central purpose or concern, along with the strategies that develop those concerns. It is our underlying beliefs about how reading and writing should be taught and learned that dictate our pedagogies and textbook selection, which in turn define the courses we teach, our goals, our outcomes, and our instruction. In the process of maintaining these discrete skill strands in many ESL curricular programs, we have prevented students from moving forward in programs in a reasonable amount of time while simultaneously perpetuating the myth that reading and writing are separate and discrete skills that should be taught as such. Although the link between reading and writing seems obvious, reading has not always had a significant place in writing classes. It was not until the turn of the 20th century that Harvard and other universities decided that reading literature was essential to learning to write (Brereton, 1995).

Many professors who teach writing are concerned about the amount of time that may be needed for discussing readings as opposed to the amount of time that should be devoted to teaching writing. However, reading and writing need not be distinct course activities.

There are numerous academic benefits to the integration of reading and writing. Consider how reading can inform writing. Reading introduces students to a variety of texts, genres, and writing styles, expanding their knowledge of language. Reading also exposes students to much more content knowledge, inspiring new ideas and perspectives. Students are often faced with writer’s block or comment on how they have little to say about a topic, and exposure to texts shows them how to elaborate ideas. It allows them to think critically and analytically, and even more so if the questions posed are designed to get at the higher-order cognitive level (Halpern, 2002). For example, critical thinking can be taught explicitly through reading activities. This could involve teaching students how to identify direct or implied main ideas and supporting points, distinguish fact from opinion, identify propaganda techniques, identify the author’s tone, recognize the relationship between ideas, and recognize bias.

Reading also allows for the development of analytical skills, which results in a deeper, more mindful reading. These can include activities such as examining the evidence or arguments presented in a text, the effectiveness and reliability of the evidence itself, the interpretations made, the hidden agendas of the writer if any, and whether the evidence and argument support the conclusions. Finally, reading illustrates models of excellent writing, offering students writing instruction in organization, evidence, syntax, vocabulary, purpose, tone, voice, audience, rhetorical appeals, and language.

The question we now need to ask is, what can we do in our classrooms to ensure that reading and writing are working together effectively? Here are some suggestions.

  • Introduce reading materials that pair well with writing assignments to teach a particular writing form. For example, if you were teaching students how to write a summary, you might first introduce students to a specific article and read it together. Summary writing strategies including main idea recognition, implied main idea recognition, reporting verbs, language frames, and academic summary conventions would be taught. Finally, a sample summary of the article can be provided to students so they see an effective model in terms of content and form. One of my class activities involves dividing students into groups and assigning a portion of the reading to summarize. We then write all of their sentences on the board and turn this into an academic summary by using appropriate language, transitions, and summary conventions. Collaboratively creating written texts together emphasizes the qualities of good writing in your discipline.
  • Draw attention to text-specific features. For example, examine various rhetorical modes such as argument texts, but limit time on content of the text and focus on the features of the text, identifying and evaluating the claims that are made, how an argument is constructed, how appeals are used, what the writer does effectively, and so forth.
  • Provide students with mentor or exemplar texts that are well-written pieces, and take time in class to talk about what makes them strong or effective pieces of writing. The same can be done with models of bad writing so students learn what not to do. I like to do this both as a whole-class activity and as small-group work. Giving students an opportunity to talk about texts enhances their understanding of content, structure, and language.
  • Incorporate literature and tailor writing assignments around it, such as literary analysis that involves constructing an argument about an issue or theme in the text and supporting that with evidence from within the text and outside research. Be sure to teach effective researching skills and documentation of sources.
  • Use sentence starters to help students better understand the author’s or text’s purpose. For example, use sentences such as “The main message I’m getting from the first paragraph is ” or “The author is trying to teach us that ” and so on.
  • Have students work in groups, and provide them with rubrics to evaluate written texts and ask them to discuss their thoughts according to rubric standards. Rubrics also give students the language they need to analyze texts of varying quality so they learn to distinguish what makes a text exemplary.
  • Encourage students to write in the margins or ask questions when reading materials, as this is a much more active process and students engage with the text, which helps them to make meaning at a deeper level. This also serves as a reminder that texts are part of ongoing discussion and are not the last word on a given subject. Model this practice so they become familiar with how to interact with text effectively, which in turn also enhances their metacognitive skills.
  • Incorporate close-reading activities based on a text, asking questions about each paragraph as they work through the text. The questions can be designed to enhance comprehension; using Bloom’s Taxonomy as a guide can be highly effective so that students have the opportunity to move beyond basic comprehension and are also required to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create in some way by what they are being asked. Questions can also focus on form and style so that students see why the author chose to express or write in a specific way.
  • Ask students to keep written journals that can be shared in class. Journaling about readings allows students to express in writing their own personal interests and insights and build on the skills they already intuitively possess: the ability to observe, to listen, to take notes, to reflect on their notes, and to ask questions that are born out of a sense of genuine curiosity. It can be an effective way to deepen understanding of course materials.
  • Encourage students to write short response papers to readings. Sometimes a prompt can be provided to emphasize attention to specific aspects. This can serve as the basis for class discussions and can enhance meaning and understanding of texts.

By integrating reading and writing, students are participating in their learning to a greater degree. They learn that academic writing must be structured, meticulous, and concise. They understand that they must provide a context for an audience that exists apart from the writer. In other words, their own writing must have purpose, have clarity, and fully engage the reader. The reading and writing activities working in tandem are intimately intertwined; reading stimulates writing just as much as writing stimulates reading. Finally, instruction in which reading and writing are explicitly interconnected develops the academic and literacy skills needed to succeed across disciplines. ESL programs must take an active role in transforming the way in which most curricular offerings are structured to ways that are more thoroughly grounded in theories of learning and literacy and the articulated assumptions about the teaching of reading and writing.

References
Brereton, J. C. (ed.). (1995). The Origins of Composition Studies in the American College, 1875–1925: A Documentary History. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.
Halpern, D. (2002). “Teaching for Critical Thinking: Helping college students develop the skills and dispositions of a critical thinker.” New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 1999(80), 69–74.

Meena Singhal, PhD ([email protected]) is a professor in the Department of ESL, Linguistics, and American Sign Language at Long Beach City College, California. She has authored several publications including the book Teaching Reading to Adult Second Language Learners: Theoretical Foundations, Pedagogical Applications, and Current Issues (Reading Matrix Inc., 2004), used in many ESL teaching methods courses.

Program Models over Potluck

“Come on, talk to me, so you can see what’s going on.” ~Marvin Gaye

I’ve had several conversations recently about what Language Instruction Education Program (LIEP) model yields the best results for primary and secondary students learning English as a new language in school. That question is simple, but the answer is complex. My response is, it depends. It depends upon various factors; however, one factor remains: mindsets about student potential.

What do you believe your students are capable of? If a learning community does not believe their students are capable of becoming bilingual/biliterate and bicultural, then the programs being offered are only part of the issue.

Another factor related to student success and potential is the climate and culture of their school communities. Positive school climate and culture in part depends upon the relationships established and maintained with the families the school serves, including multilingual families. When attempting to foster relationships between families and schools, potlucks and “bring a dish from your culture” events are often encouraged.

Yes, food is important! Home/school relationships, including family engagement, participation, and the like, are extremely important, but so are the learning experiences of multilingual students. Part of those learning experiences is housed in the program models afforded to students. Let’s prioritize program models over potlucks.

The Buffet Approach

The analogy I use to describe LIEPs is that they are like selecting a meal from a buffet. First and foremost, the federal guidance must be adhered to, but what is offered and selected from the buffet depends on what the learning community chooses. For example, does your learning community offer dual language, English as a second language leveled courses, sheltered English immersion, one-way transitional bilingual, a combination of these, or something else? In 2015–16, the US Department of Education reported two thirds of the states and Washington, DC offered dual language models and 38 states offered LIEP that solely focused on developing students’ English proficiency (US Department of Education, 2019). What is offered, served on the buffet, to multilingual students largely depends upon where they live in the US.

Let’s take into consideration the students who do not participate in any of the LIEPs, those who participate in general education courses only. What types of supports are they receiving or not? During a recent conversation about LIEPs, one educator stated, “often there still seems to be confusion around what we offer and how we offer the supports linked to each model.” Another reflection expressed similar concerns: “our district has many different program models; however, not all programs are fully understood. This leads to confusion for some staff, which then filters down to the quality of student instruction.” Being clear about what is offered and the intended outcomes is key to setting students up to be successful college- and career-ready, autonomous learners. Once we determine and clarify what LIEPs are offered, I then ask if other educators in the district/school know what LIEPs are offered, including their intended outcomes. The latter receives far more “no” or “not sure” responses.

  • What Language Instruction Education Program models are offered to multilingual learners in your district?
  • What are the intended outcomes for students?
  • Do other educators know what Language Instruction Education Program models are offered and their intended outcomes for students?

LIEP models are multifaceted and do not work equally well for all multilingual learners. Take, for instance, the language groups within a learning community. Are all languages groups afforded the same opportunities to become bilingual and biliterate? If not, how can we improve our offerings? In 2015–16, state educational agencies (SEAs) reported a total of 40 partner languages offered in dual language programs. Spanish was the most common language offered (US Department of Education, 2019).

More recently, Palm Beach County School District in Florida opened its first dual language Haitian Creole program during the 2022–23 school year, which is similar to the population served and the dual language program offered by the Toussaint L’Ouverture Academy (see www.languagemagazine.com/2021/07/07/young-bilingual-and-black) in Boston, Massachusetts.

What multilingual learners have access to regarding developing literacy, bilingualism in their native language, and English does not necessarily have to depend solely on their zip codes of residence. For this to be true, mindsets and creative approaches to LIEPs must be cultivated. Access to and participation in a high-quality LIEP is an equity issue!

Staffing Program Models

To say that there is a need for more qualified administrators and teachers is an understatement. In a recent article, “United for Bilingual Education” (www.languagemagazine.com/2022/09/27/united-for-bilingual-education), Valdez, Rodríguez, and Alvarez (2022) explained how educators are championing for bilingual education across the Dominican Republic. Followed by Nelson’s (2022) interview, “Revolutionizing Language Acquisition Programs through Leadership Coaching,” both highlight the need for staffing and support for both teachers and administrators of LIEPs. With a nationwide shortage of educators, vacancies in LIEPs are exacerbated.

A number of initiatives are in place to address the shortage of qualified educators, especially those who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). The findings from the survey of California educators “Voices from the Classroom: Developing a Strategy for Teacher Retention and Recruitment” found job satisfaction, teacher retention, diversity and inclusion, preservice teacher preparation, and policies that support these initiatives are imperative (Language Magazine, Oct. 2022). In Massachusetts, Latinos for Education are advocating for the Educator Diversity Act, which would serve as a national model for diversifying the teacher pipeline through state-level policy (www.LatinosforEducation.org). In Philadelphia, the Center for Black Educator Development (www.thecenterblacked.org) serves to advance the profession by increasing the number of Black educators, specifically Black males. Collectively, we are working toward the same goals, offering more options for linguistically diverse students, their families, our communities, and the next generation of educators.

Next Steps: Revisit, Reimage, and Reinvest

Part of our work as advocates is to revisit, reimage, and reinvest in LIEP models and their intended outcomes for students. Do we have data, both qualitative and quantitative, that proves what we offer is best for multilingual students? If so, does that apply to all multilingual learners or just certain ones? That’s my answer to “what program models are best?” The ones that are preparing college- and career-ready, multilingual autonomous learners.

References

Cooper, A., and Nelson, R. (2022). “Revolutionizing Language Acquisition Programs through Leadership Coaching.” Language Magazine, 22(2), 42–44.

US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2019). “Dual Language Learning Programs and English Learners.” https://ncela.ed.gov/files/fast_facts/19-0389_Del4.4_DualLanguagePrograms_122319_508.pdf

Valdez, J., Rodríguez, D., and Alvarez, E. (2022). United for Bilingual Education. Language Magazine, 22(1), 34–37.

Ayanna Cooper, EdD, is an advocate, Pass the Mic editor, and owner of A. Cooper Consulting. She is the author of And Justice for ELs: A Leader’s Guide to Creating and Sustaining Equitable Schools (Corwin) and is currently serving on the board (2020–2023) of TESOL International Association.

DACA Reprieve Prompts Calls for Congress to Act

US District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled last month that the current version of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) can continue temporarily for previously approved applicants but cannot accept new applications.


DACA is a federal policy that extends some basic rights, like in-state education fees and work permissions, to the hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the US as children, as long as they complete school and adhere to other requirements. There were 611,270 people enrolled in the program at the end of March, even though new applications have been suspended and many other would-be applicants have been deterred by revelations that application information may have been shared with immigration authorities.


During the hearing, Hanen ordered attorneys for the federal government to provide more information on the new rule and said he expects additional legal arguments related to it, but there was no timetable set for future hearings.


The case went back to Hanen after the Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said last week he should take another look at DACA following revisions adopted by the Biden administration. The new rule’s 453 pages are largely technical and represent little substantive change from the 2012 memo that created DACA. Hanen said he wanted all parties involved to initially focus on issues related to the federal Administrative Procedures Act in reviewing the new regulation.


Last year, Hanen declared DACA illegal after Texas and eight other Republican-leaning states filed a lawsuit claiming they are harmed financially. After the appeals court ruling, President Joe Biden and advocacy groups renewed their calls for Congress to pass permanent protections for DREAMers. Sonia M. Pérez, acting CEO of UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization, issued the following statement in response to the ruling:


“The court decision was as expected as it is unfortunate. For the moment, DACA recipients have a small respite, but the ruling is a clear reminder that the fate of DACA hangs in the balance. Particularly through the pandemic, when we all became witnesses to the contributions of immigrants to help our country survive, it is imperative that Congress enact legislation to provide permanent protections for our immigrant communities and deliver a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers before the end of the year.


“The safety and future of hundreds of thousands of individuals who were raised in the US and are valuable, contributing members of their local communities are at stake. These include more than 200,000 DACA recipients who worked tirelessly as frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and parents of a whole new generation of American children. It is estimated that each day, in the two years following the termination of DACA, 1,000 more US-citizen children and spouses will be at threat of family separation. Congressional action is needed to keep families together in the spirit of one of our nation’s most cherished values.”

Study Reveals Learning Loss ‘Tornado’


Last month, the Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration with researchers at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University (CEPR) and Stanford University’s Educational Opportunity Project, released the first comparable view of district-level learning loss during the pandemic utilizing the recently released 2022 NAEP data and data from the states that have publicly reported their district proficiency rates on their spring 2022 assessments. These interactive district-level maps include data from 29 states (plus DC)—where the necessary data was available.

The new research uses the 2022 NAEP scores to make state assessment results comparable and incorporates data on weeks remote and the federal recovery dollars (ESSER) received per district, equipping state and local leaders with the information they need to recalibrate their current recovery plans.  

Interestingly, some school districts with higher poverty rates—such as Los Angeles, which instituted remote learning for longer than most other districts—performed comparatively well in the assessments. In fact, even with its long closures, California performed better than most other states and the nation from 2019–22, but the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact student achievement overall and across all student groups.

“California focused on keeping kids safe during the pandemic while making record investments to mitigate learning loss and transforming our education system,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.

“While California’s students experienced less learning loss than those in most other states during the pandemic, these results are not a celebration but a call to action—students are struggling academically and we need to keep getting them the resources they need to thrive. That’s why we’ve made record investments in education, created a new pre-K grade, implemented universal free meals, expanded before- and after-school programs, bolstered mental health, and more.”

“The pandemic was like a band of tornadoes that swept across the country,” said CEPR faculty director Thomas J. Kane. “Some communities were left relatively untouched, while neighboring schools were devastated. The Education Recovery Scorecard is the first high-resolution map of the tornadoes’ path to help local leaders see the magnitude of the damage and guide local recovery efforts.”

“One of the things we found is that even within a district, there is variability. School districts are the first line of action to help children catch up. The better they know about the patterns of learning loss, the more they’re going to be able to target their resources effectively to reduce educational inequality of opportunity and help children and communities thrive,” said Sean Reardon, professor of poverty and inequality in education at Stanford University and director of the Educational Opportunity Project.

In response to the findings, US secretary of education Miguel Cardona said, “We must muster the political will at the state and local level to match the urgency and federal investment in our students through the historic $122 billion in the American Rescue Plan. The latest Nation’s Report Card results must serve as a call to action to revisit our existing plans and scale up proven academic recovery strategies such as ensuring a robust and qualified teacher and leader workforce, intense and frequent tutoring aligned to high-quality curriculum, and after-school and summer enrichment programming. While the recent data is alarming, catching our students up to the 2019 achievement levels is a low bar. We must aim higher. Our students should be leading the world.”

Civil rights leaders see this new research as a call to action for state leaders to rise up a much bolder, more aggressive response. 
“Learning losses among minority students over the last two years have put the long-term vitality of the nation at risk. Latino and African American students make up nearly half of all students, making it a national imperative to invest in their academic recovery,” said Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS.

“If there is a sparkle of light during these dark times, it’s our nation’s historic infusion of funds through ARP and ESSER,” said John B. King, president of the Education Trust. “To address unfinished learning, we implore district leaders to invest in evidence-based strategies, including increased access to strong, diverse teachers, targeted intensive tutoring, expanded learning time, and strengthening socioemotional supports and relationships weakened during the pandemic.”

$120 Million to Support ELL Educators


The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) recently announced awards of nearly $120 million over five years under the National Professional Development Program (NPD) to support educators of multilingual learners.

The NPD program provides grants to eligible Institutions of Higher Education and public or private entities with relevant experience and capacity, in consortia with states or districts, to implement professional development activities that will improve instruction for English Learners (ELs). These grants align with Secretary Cardona’s plan to address opportunity and achievement gaps by investing in, recruiting, and supporting the professional development of a diverse educator workforce, including bilingual educators.

“I grew up speaking Spanish at home and thrived as an English learner in school thanks to great teachers who helped me realize that my bilingualism and my biculturalism would someday be my superpower,” said U.S. secretary of education Miguel Cardona. “As our nation grows more diverse than ever before, we must level up our investments in educators who can provide students from all backgrounds with equitable opportunities to succeed. This $120 million, five-year investment will support high quality professional development and teacher preparation programs across the country. It will also help us grow a pipeline of diverse and talented educators who can help more English learners realize their own bilingual and multilingual superpowers.” 

These grants can be awarded to educators of ELs including teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals or other educators working with ELs. Professional development activities may include teacher education programs and training that lead to certification, licensing, or endorsement for providing instruction to students learning English.

Educator effectiveness is the most important in-school factor affecting student achievement and success. To improve the academic achievement of ELs, the NPD program supports pre-service and in-service instruction for teachers and other staff, including school leaders, working with ELs. Selected applicants submitted proposals to improve access to culturally and linguistically responsive early learning environments for multilingual learners and that increase public awareness about the benefits of proficiency in more than one language.

“The NPD grants support the professional growth of the education workforce by promoting the skills and critical dispositions of educators and leaders. These grants can enhance the capacity of the education workforce to create equitable learning environments that promote language, literacy and diversity. This work is vital to increase educator effectiveness in meeting the needs of English learners and their families,” said OELA acting director Montserrat Garibay.

The NPD program has funded a range of grantees that are currently implementing 182 projects across the country, including the most recent grantees. As the EL population continues to grow, it has become increasingly important to identify and expand the use of evidence-based instructional practices that improve EL learning outcomes.

The Department projects this new cohort of 44 grants (see below) will serve approximately 1,638 pre-service and 6,271 in-service teachers.

NameStateTotal Granted Over 5 Years
The University of Alabama in HuntsvilleAL$2,799,244
University of Alabama at BirminghamAL$2,985,871
University of Arkansas SystemAR$2,955,256
San Diego State University FoundationCA$2,947,479
The Regents of the University of California, Los AngelesCA$2,944,015
California State University San Marcos CorporationCA$3,000,000
California State University, Dominguez Hills FoundationCA$2,571,938
The Regents of the University of ColoradoCO$2,822,251
University of DelawareDE$2,666,354
University of South FloridaFL$2,061,703
The Florida International University Board of TrusteesFL$2,503,029
The University of Central Florida Board of TrusteesFL$2,603,976
Florida Atlantic UniversityFL$1,788,835
University of Northern IowaIA$1,489,701
Trustees of Indiana UniversityIN$2,999,075
Kansas State UniversityKS$2,940,478
University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc.KS$2,290,405
University of Massachusetts BostonMA$2,946,798
Lasell UniversityMA$2,504,012
Trustees of Boston UniversityMA$2,868,044
National Association for Bilingual EducationMD$2,965,801
Grand Valley State UniversityMI$2,705,208
Western Michigan UniversityMI$2,969,991
Wayne State UniversityMI$2,289,939
Southeast Service CooperativeMN$2,716,643
William Paterson University of New JerseyNJ$2,863,634
The College of New JerseyNJ$2,998,231
Board of Regents, NSHE obo Nevada State CollegeNV$2,004,285
University of CincinnatiOH$2,963,816
University of OregonOR$2,992,611
Western Oregon UniversityOR$2,989,591
Temple University – Of The Commonwealth System of Higher EduPA$2,998,194
Cabrini UniversityPA$2,981,534
Clemson UniversitySC$2,332,682
BakerRipleyTX$3,000,000
The University of Texas at El PasoTX$2,831,807
Region 18 Education Service CenterTX$2,812,771
Texas A&M UniversityTX$3,000,000
Stephen F. Austin State UniversityTX$2,530,139
University Of North Texas at DallasTX$2,761,155
Weber State UniversityUT$2,787,029
Western Washington UniversityWA$2,588,559
University of WashingtonWA$2,995,811
Board of Regents of UW-System on behalf of UW-MilwaukeeWI$2,870,290
Total $119,638,185

Book Banning Intensifies

Last month’s celebration of Banned Books Week was overshadowed by the announcement by the American Library Association that the number of books challenged in 2022 was already approaching last year’s totals, which were the highest in decades.

Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. For 40 years, the annual event has brought together the entire book community—librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types—in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “It’s both the number of challenges and the kinds of challenges. It used to be a parent had learned about a given book and had an issue with it. Now we see campaigns where organizations are compiling lists of books, without necessarily reading or even looking at them.”

The ALA has documented 681 challenges to books through the first eight months of this year, involving 1,651 different titles. In all of 2021, the ALA listed 729 challenges, directed at 1,579 books. Because the ALA relies on media accounts and reports from libraries, the actual number of challenges is likely far higher, the library association believes.

Shine a Light on Bilingualism


The winners were chosen by Renaissance’s RAICES (Respectfully Amplify the Impact of our Culture to Empower and Succeed) employee resource group and Biliteracy Advisory Council.

Grades 9–12

Title: “Fusion”

Artist: Gabriela, grade 10, Texas

Gabriela’s inspiration: “Lo que me inspiró para el desarrollo de esta obra fue mi cultura. Soy de México, y me gusta mostrar mi identidad hispana orgullosamente. Quería transmitir la belleza de la fusion de culturas y tradiciones; pienso que esta mezcla es enriquecedora en todos los aspectos.”

(What inspired me to develop this work was my culture. I am from Mexico, and I like to show my Hispanic identity proudly. I wanted to convey the beauty of the fusion of cultures and traditions; I think this mixture is enriching in all aspects.)

Download the poster

Grades 4–8

Title: “Under the Basilica”

Artist: Ananya, grade 8, Mississippi

Ananya’s inspiration: “Multiple features in my artwork symbolize parts of Hispanic culture, such as the colorful banners, sugar skulls, and decorated candles. Other non-concrete aspects of Hispanic culture are also shown, such as a strong belief in religion, through the towering cathedral. The two people communicating on the road show the sense of community. The woman carrying a sack of maize on her back indicates the hard work put forth each day in Hispanic communities.

In all, the inspiration for my artwork is the masterful culture of Hispanic communities, which is prominent today and should be recognized  Download the poster

Grades K–3

Title: “Me-et the Hispanic Heritage”

Artist: Lenox, grade 3, New York

Lenox’s inspiration: “I drew the Statue of Liberty because I’m a New Yorker, and I drew an empanada because I’m part Colombian. I wrote words in both languages for it to represent those two languages I speak.”

Download the poster

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