Fueled by two decades of historic immigration, American demographics are changing. Many school districts are often ill prepared to meet the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) students and families. "Teaching Tolerance" created best practices for engaging LEP students and families in an effort to help administrators build a supportive…

School-level administrators are often concerned about tertiary supports for English language learners (ELLs), such as translating signs and school documents or offering Spanish classes for their teachers. Although modeling and learning the heritage language(s) of the ESL population can be helpful, its focus on language differences can limit our…

This document focuses on assessment portfolios and examines the advantages and challenges of using an assessment portfolio system inclusive of English language learners as a district-wide assessment tool. Advantages of including English language learners in the assessment program include increased school accountability for all students, a shared…

In the United States, two-way immersion (TWI) is an educational approach that integrates native English speakers and native speakers of another language (usually Spanish) for content and literacy instruction in both languages. In recent years, the number of TWI programs has grown rapidly. This report examines key issues to consider when planning…

This guide offers a framework to facilitate the planning process for dual language programs, assuming at least a basic working knowledge of the central characteristics and essential features of dual language models. It provides an overview of the various models that serve linguistically diverse student populations, defining the term dual language…

These resource materials were developed in response to requests from school districts for a reference tool to assist them through the process of developing a comprehensive English language learners (ELL) program. The districts desired a program that would be in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI was passed in the…

This publication presents a summary of an ongoing collaborative research study that is both national in scope and practical for immediate local decision making in schools. It is written for bilingual and English as a Second Language program coordinators and local school policy makers. The research includes findings from five large urban and…

This volume was intended to stimulate new thinking about how to restructure a school program to effectively educate students whose native language is not English. It favors calling such students "English Language Learners" (ELLs). The document provides specific examples of how some California schools have improved their educational…

This issue brief considers how to involve English language learners in community-connected learning, a set of strategies to engage young people in learning experiences beyond the classroom. Such strategies include internships at work sites, and project-based learning in classrooms. In successful community-connected learning strategies, students…

Project CHOICE was designed to offer Chinese-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP) the opportunity to study business, technical, and computer subjects at Seward Park, and Washington Irving High Schools; subsequently, Norman Thomas High School was substituted for the latter school. Students received instruction in English as a…

An overview is provided of eight training sessions for teachers of pre-school children who are speakers of English as a second language (ESL). Developed by the Vancouver Preschool ESL Committee and a community college, the course had the following goals: (1) to explore teachers' cultural assumptions and understand how they affect relationships…

Few educators today would argue with statements about the growing diversity of the children being educated in most schools. There is acceptance and often celebration of this diversity, including the growth and dispersal of the population of children and youth from diverse linguistic backgrounds, but there are also concerns about the ability to…

This project provided 360 students at South Bronx High School (New York) with instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL); Native Language Arts (NLA); the bilingual content area subjects of mathematics, science, and social studies; and computer literacy. The goal of the project was to provide instructional and support services to…

Drawing on and extending the work presented in a companion volume, "Schooling and Language Minority Students: A Theoretical Framework," five principles are presented that represent an integration of recent empirical research in bilingualism, bilingual education, and second language acquisition to help policymakers and educators meet the…

Maintains that California schools have undergone an enormous transformation over the past two decades, with over a million students identified as limited English proficient. Describes changes in teacher education and certification designed to meet the needs of limited English proficient students. (CFR)