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Making California School Reform Work
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As the dust has settled around the "Christmas miracle" -- bipartisan passage of the federal
Every Student Succeeds Act (also known as ESSA)-- the implications are being vigorously unpacked and debated. One change that is drawing attention: Oversight of English language learners' progress will largely devolve to the states and districts.
Greater local flexibility could be a boon for these students-- or the opposite. Conor Williams, a senior researcher at New America sounded an alarm in a
December article in which he wrote, "
...stakeholders who worry that their local leaders won't make tough decisions to improve how schools serve these kids, and also don't trust their states to force those leaders' hands, should be worried."
And in a
blog post for the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators, Gabriela Uro, from the Great City Schools, cautions that English learners are not a monolithic group and shouldn't be treated as such. "How will the states make sure they are coming up with criteria that are reasonable and fair to these various groups?
This issue of Leading Change spotlights several viewpoints on the implications of ESSA for language learners, but we'd also love to hear from you.
Do you think districts have the tools needed to improve outcomes for language learners? What do you think of the changes in state and district roles?
Please contact us here.
Thanks for reading!
Erin Brownfield, editor
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EdSource's editor-at-large John Fensterwald provides an in-depth look at how California is positioned to support English learners under Every Student Succeeds. He writes:
"Under the new federal law, English learners become more than just one of many student subgroups whose academic achievements must be tracked by schools receiving federal Title I dollars for low-income children. Their progress toward English proficiency becomes a priority in a state's school accountability system."
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I
n an Ed
Source commentary, Delia Pompa, senior fellow for education policy at the
Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., walks us through the changes in the new federal law that have a bearing on English learne
rs. Overall, she writes, the new law "gives English learners a higher profile in accountability systems and reflects their growing importance in overall student achievement."
Yet, Pompa cauti
ons, federal law "has been critical to safeguarding the civil and educational rights of English learners, minority students and those with disabilities, and it is important to ensure that gains in federal law are not lost in state and local accountability plans."
Read more.
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Education Week's Devin Corrigan considers the issue of teaching English learners in California from several angles, from bilingual instruction to the gaps between learners from different countries. In addition to useful links to research and policy briefs, he provides five insights into issues to keep an eye on in the coming year amid major policy changes like Local Control, ESSA and legislation such as the California Multilingual Education Act.
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A recent video webinar from EdSource and Partners for Each and Every Child took a close look at what the Every Student Succeeds Act means for California, and for specific subgroups of students, including English learners.
The entire webinar is available to watch at
this link. A shorter option is an easy to digest
backgrounder that clearly spells out what's new, what's different, and what the "decision points" are for California.
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