Unpacking the Western Heights’ Success: Engaging Multilingual Learners and Families
Introduction Western Heights Public Schools (WHPS) achieved incredible success in engaging multilingual learners (MLs) and their families with the support of EduSkills’ comprehensive ML support services. This white paper outlines the strategies and practices that contributed to this success, providing a comprehensive case study for other districts seeking to improve their engagement and outcomes for […]
Artificial Intelligence to Support Multilingual Learners: Hype or Solutions?
Republished from NAELPA Fall 2024 Newsletter The recent wave of new-to-the U.S. is notable for the sheer number of students entering schools in a short time, reminiscent of the 2008-2009 influx. This increase, in addition to complex political and ideological challenges, has stretched capacities and necessitated the use of translation and interpretation tools to expedite […]
EduSkills 2024 Back to School Conference Recap
The EduSkills Back to School Conference, held on July 25th, 2024, was a resounding success, bringing together educators, administrators, and experts in the field of multilingual education. The event was highlighted by a keynote presentation from Michael Rodríguez, the Executive Director of Dual Language New Mexico. His session, titled “Dual Language Essentials and Beyond,” provided […]
Welcome, Multilingual and Newcomer Students!
It is important for schools to identify ways to support all students, and the time may come that you are searching for guidance when a student arrives who doesn’t speak the main language(s) used in your school. Multilingual and newcomer students and their families will need additional care to ensure that students receive the appropriate […]
Supporting ELLs Who Lack an Active Guardian
by Sarah Elia According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there were 13,513 encounters of unaccompanied minors in December 2023 and 8,571 in January 2024. As unaccompanied minors continue to enter the United States, it is important to recognize that many of them ultimately have a guardian who has little to no involvement in their […]
Unpacking Communication Bias in the Classroom
by Lauren Funai If you work in education, you likely don’t need to be told that linguistic diversity has been steadily on the rise in schools across the U.S. Though the United States is one of five countries in the world that has abstained from declaring an official language, English has been, and remains, the […]
Ensuring Successful and Inclusive Classrooms through Cultural Proficiency
Kelly B. Forbes, Ed.D. (learn more about Dr. Forbes HERE). In today’s culturally and linguistically diverse school districts, fostering inclusivity and celebrating cultural diversity are essential components of effective leading, teaching, and learning. Anchored in Lindsey & Lindsey’s (2016) Conceptual Framework for Culturally Proficient Practices, the Integrated Cultural Language and Proficiency Framework (ICLPF), generated from […]
Strengthening Multilingual Access for All
by Kelly Forbes, Ed.D. Did you know that Multilingual/English learner (ML/EL) students make up nine to 10 percent (9%-10%) of all public school students? That means nearly three out of every four public schools are bilingual/multilingual schools! How amazing! Therefore, it’s crucial that we, as educators and leaders, ensure all of our students can participate […]
Interview: Dr. Heath Grimes
Editor: Sarah Elia A few months ago I came across a webinar on Education Week What Schools Can Do to Help English Learners Thrive. Dr. Heath Grimes, Superintendent of Education for Russellville City Schools in Russellville, Alabama, was one of the speakers on the webinar. As a school leader, he struck me as unusually passionate […]
K-12 teacher spotlight: Kelly Aldinger
Affiliation: Albany, New York – East Greenbush Central Schools & Siena CollegeYears in the classroom: 6 What is your biggest challenge as a K-12 teacher of multilingual learners? I think the biggest challenge of this work is the “invisible tax” that English as a New Language (ENL) educators often face. Not only do we carry […]