Blueprint for English Language Learner Multilingual Learner Success
The NYSED Bilingual Education and the World Office (OBEWL) aims to enable New York State (NYS) students, Multilingual Learners (ELLs/MLLs), including English language learners, to achieve the highest academic achievement and language proficiency. Our mission is to make sure that all students’ individual educational paths and socio-emotional needs are met in multiple languages, and to guide them towards university and career preparation. NYSED provides the resources and referrals necessary for all teachers to support ELLs/MLLs students. Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of ELLs/MLLs students enrolled in NYS public schools, which has led to 261,848 students studying who speak more than 200 languages. In order to offer these students a successful future, NYSED should help teachers achieve rigorous academic standards for these students by providing schools with appropriate resources, native language assessments, and teaching materials. In addition, the Next Generation Learning Standards expect every teacher to be ready to teach academic languages and to offer challenging content to all students, including ELLs/MLLs. All teachers should be competent in gaining content knowledge while improving the English language proficiency of ELLs/MLLs students. These principles serve administrators, policymakers, and practitioners as a statewide framework aimed at guiding ELLs/MLLs students toward college and career preparation from the outset. These principles aim to provide guidance, resources and support to districts, schools and teachers, and also promote a better understanding and appreciation of New Language (ENL) and World Language Studies in English.
The Principles that Guide ELL/MLL Success:
- All teachers are teachers of English Language Learners (ELLs) and Multilingual Learners (MLLs) and should plan accordingly. This includes:
To design and provide appropriate, culturally and linguistically sensitive teaching to all students, this includes students with Individualized Educational Programs (IEP).
To provide integrated language and content education to support language development, to create language-oriented scaffolding and to use materials and teaching resources in accordance with the New Generation Learning Standards in English.
To meet the multiple needs of ELLs/MLLs students by collaborating with school support staff and community-based resources. - All school boards and district/school leaders should address the academic, language, social, and emotional needs of ELLs/MLLs students as follows:
- To provide a clear vision of achievement and socio-emotional development supported by a purposeful action plan that supports the success of ELL/MLL students.
- To support multiple pathways leading to university, career and civic preparation through high-quality programs that will respond to the needs of ELLs/MLLs students.
- To provide high-quality instructions for ELLs/MLLs and to align financial and human resources to implement these instructions.
- To provide high-quality support, feedback and guidance for educators to improve their teaching practices.
- To create a safe and inclusive learning environment and to respect the cultural diversity of all students.
- Districts and schools should value all parents and families of ELLs/MLLs students. This should include:
- Providing resources for parents to make informed decisions about their children’s education.
- To provide parents with the necessary information about their rights and program options in an understandable way.
- To educate parents about strategies that support their children’s in- and out-of-school learning.
- To involve parents as active participants in the school community and to share the high expectations of the school.
- Districts and schools should create intentional learning opportunities to increase professional capacities.
- This should include:Enabling all teachers to collaborate and design teaching.
- To provide professional development opportunities for the needs of ELLs/MLLs students.
- Districts and schools should use the native languages and cultural assets of ELLs/MLLs students. This should include:
- Treating household languages as teaching assets and using them to ensure that the content is understandable and meaningful.
- Promoting diversity by respecting the home languages and cultures of ELLs/MLLs students.
- Districts and schools should use appropriate tools to assess ELLS/MLLs students’ content knowledge and language development. This should include:
- Measuring student achievement using formative assessments and NYS assessments.
- Increasing professional capacity other than English as a mother tongue (LOTE) teachers and support staff.
Districts and schools acting in accordance with these principles will have created the necessary foundation to increase the success of ELLs/MLLs students and ensure their success in all areas.