Supporting English Language Learners: A Pocket Guide for State and District Leaders
The need to serve English language learners (ELLs) has never been more pressing, as their numbers increase and their achievement continues to be poor compared to their English-proficient peers. State and district leaders need high-quality research and information to improve instruction for ELLs and promote student learning.
Supporting English Language Learners: A Pocket Guide for State and District Leaders summarizes the ELL-relevant information presented in 34 approved applications for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility waivers and suggests promising practices and policies to address these students' needs. The guide, developed by the Center for English Language Learners at AIR, is designed for state and district leaders who play a key role in ensuring that all students—including ELLs—graduate from high school well prepared for college and careers.
This Pocket Guide is the first of three developed to help state and local policymakers and practitioners implement ESEA flexibility plans approved by the U.S. Department of Education. The guide's authors reviewed the approved plans to identify policies relevant to ELLs. The guide includes:
- Requirements for each principle related to ELLs in the flexibility waivers
- Descriptions of how the plans addressed ELLs
- Considerations for research-based enhancements to current policy and practice
- Examples of state and district innovations for ELLs related to the waiver provisions