National Academies Releases Report on Dual Language and English Learners
On February 28, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures, a report by the Committee on Fostering School Success for English Learners. The report assesses the current state of English language education in the United States and offers recommendations on how to improve learning outcomes for dual language learners (DLLs) and English learners (ELs). Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states have a responsibility to address disparities in the educational outcomes of DLLs/ELs.
The report contains 14 recommendations designed to inform policy and offers a research agenda. The Committee recommends standardizing terminology across agencies, that state education agencies examine the relationships between students’ characteristics and English ability, and that the Institute of Educational Sciences within the U.S. Department of Education encourage research on the effects of state ESSA variation on DLLs/ELs. The report also highlights research gaps in understanding DLLs/ELs with disabilities.
This article was contributed by COSSA’s spring intern, Laila Rosenthal of American University.