April is National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, a time to recognize the needs and achievements of bilingual and multilingual learners. As a proud Bilingual educator, who now serves as the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director for the Office of English Language Acquisition, I want to take the time to share how valuable and important being bilingual is to me.

Being Bilingual has opened up a world of opportunities in life, from being able to keep in touch with my loved ones back in Mexico, to learning and enjoying the beautiful arts from my heritage culture, to sharing my traditions and language with different types of people throughout the world. Being bilingual allows me to code-switch and to be my most authentic self. Soy de aquí y de allà with orgullo. Not to mention, being bilingual has added extra cash in my pocket in positions where I received a stipend or higher wage because I am bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural.

More than ever, our society must embrace and encourage a multilingual, multicultural and multiliterate society. It can only make us a stronger nation. As we recognize National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, I welcome you to join the Department of Education’s Call to Action for Bilingual and Multilingual Learners.

• Spark students’ interest in learning a second language and take pride in maintaining their first language.
• Encourage parents’ support and advocate for high-quality language programs in their schools.
• Urge colleges and universities to prioritize bilingual preparation programs for multilingual educators.
• Call on leaders and stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels to create, invest in and implement policies, processes and best practices focused on high-quality language programs.
• Call on workforce leaders at the national, state, and local levels to advocate and invest in language as a workforce credential.

In partnership,

Montserrat

The Region 15 Comprehensive Center, in collaboration with OELA, invites you to a series of learning sessions focused on what formative assessment is and how it can be implemented to support the academic and socioemotional growth of EL students, with a particular focus on early learners in Grades K–2.

The event hosts encourage participants to attend with their teams and recommend that attendees join for all three sessions.

Learning Session 1 – April 17, 2024

Learning Session 2 – June 26, 2024

Learning Session 3 – August 21, 2024

Do you have professional expertise in English learner programs or services, specifically bilingual or multilingual education or Grow Your Own GYO teacher education programs? Apply to be a peer reviewer for the FY 2024 National Professional Development (NPD) grant competition today. We are especially seeking potential reviewers with evaluation expertise. We appreciate those who have already submitted résumés; more information will be coming soon.

If you are interested, please reach out to NPD2024@ed.gov. The deadline to express interest is April 30, 2024.

OELA has launched a new resource designed specifically to help educators and stakeholders better assist families of ELs. This resource comes in the form of an outreach packet that includes a guide for effectively promoting the EL Family Toolkit to all EL stakeholders. To learn more about the outreach packet or to download the resource, check out this blog.

Presentation topics will include General Interest, Content Area Instruction, Bilingual/ESL Pre-K through 12, Higher Ed, and more. All registrations include one free year of NJTESOL/NJBE membership.

“Sparking Change, Integration, and Deep Connections,” renews our call to action and commitment to learning alongside leaders and experts from our changing communities. This professional development opportunity is an excellent chance for bilingual educators, counselors, and school district leaders who aim to create welcoming communities for newcomers to learn from each other.

La Cosecha Dual Language Conference

Conference

On a New Journey to Become a Nurse in the U.S

San Diego College of Continuing Education offers a tuition-free, 16-week Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program that prepares students for the State CNA examination and provides opportunities for clinical rotations at local hospitals and healthcare facilities. Graduates become State-certified as nurse assistants and can work in rehabilitation and long-term care facilities. This article tells the story of a Mexican-born nurse, Vanessa Munguia, who is a student enrolled in the program. She is in the process of learning English while also preparing to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam, and other certification and licensure exams.

How the 2024 National Teacher of the Year Helps English Learners Adapt in Rural Appalachia

The new National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman, is an English as a Second Language specialist at Rogersville City School in an Appalachian community in Tennessee. She is a strong advocate for her students, many of whom are new to her school and community, and is spending the next year traveling the country, speaking out about important issues to teachers. This article features an interview with Testerman about her work in educating and supporting EL students and families.

NEW RESOURCES: Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families Through Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Services

“Infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) services can play an important part in supporting young children’s well-being and development. For young children in immigrant and refugee families, who make up about one-fourth of all U.S. children ages 0–5, IECMH support can be particularly impactful. These services can, for example, help mitigate the effects of trauma and stressors related to migration and acculturation experiences.” Download this brief to get insights on the importance of IECMH services and what opportunities policymakers and practitioners have to ensure equitable access.

NEW RESOURCE: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know: Scoring ACCESS for ELLs

This article focuses on the ACCESS for ELLS (English language learners) assessment suite. It is intended to help educators interpret the ACCESS for ELLs score reports and learn how the scores are calculated. This publication discusses the scoring process, the duration of this process, and how educators can interpret the scores for the various domains of the assessment and apply this interpretation in their work.

TIPS FOR EDUCATORS: Are You Using This Protocol to Engage Multilingual Learners in Math?

“Now, math classes are filled with opportunities for rich language use, and math can provide a very concrete way for [MLs] to use and develop academic language.There are many instructional strategies that teachers can use to support MLs in acquiring the academic language of math and in understanding and engaging with mathematical concepts.” This article focuses a math strategy called the Three Read Protocol, designed to help MLs understand math word problems and improve their academic language development.

This resource includes activities available in multiple languages for families to start conversations with their children about their family, what they like to play, how they feel, and much more. Educators can use these resources to learn more about their students and their families.

In this position paper, Margo Gottlieb, Ph.D., analyzes policies and practices related to the expansion of multiliteracies and their effect on the teaching and learning process for MLs. She explains how multiliteracies can improve the learning experience for MLs and also provides an evaluation of the Science of Reading.

Listen to the ASSETS podcast to hear Montserrat Garibay, Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director for OELA, discuss the challenges encountered by ELs in the U.S. education system. She also provides insights into the collaborative efforts between OELA and ED to address these challenges.

Diversifying the teacher workforce is a high priority for the States and districts that the Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) partner with and for education systems nationwide. This infographic provides a snapshot of resources available from the RELs and Comprehensive Centers that discuss examples of ways to implement strategies for supporting teacher diversity.

OCDE Project GLAD® and the AIM4S³™ Math Summer Institute: Unlock the power of teaching and learning at the OCDE Project GLAD® and the AIM4S³™ Math Summer Institute from June 11–12, 2024. These sessions will empower you to enhance your grasp of these powerful frameworks; engage in student-centered instructional strategies for key content areas such as math, language arts, social studies, and science; and deepen your understanding of integrating content and language to support ELs and academic language learners in your classroom.

Cultivating the Pedagogy of Translanguaging: The Translanguaging Institute will bring together a diverse group of educators who serve emergent bilingual students and families from June 13–14, 2024. The institute will unite educators from across New Mexico and the United States

This summer, CARLA will offer 14 institutes (online and in-person) from June 24 to August 2 on a wide range of topics, including Critical Approaches to Heritage Language Education, Practical Program Evaluation for Heritage Language Programs, Teaching for Proficiency in Dual Language Immersion, Introduction to Dual Language Immersion, and more!

District of Columbia Public Schools

Washington, DC

TNTP

Connecticut and Massachusetts (preferred locations)

OELA has published a new discretionary report. This document highlights information from the 2016, 2017, and 2021 grantee cohorts of the NPD Program, comprising 142 grantees in the 2021–22 project year.

The data captures the grantees’ program performance results based on three Government Performance and Results Act measures for the 2016, 2017, and 2021 cohorts.

Subscribe to NCELA Nexus

Did you receive the Nexus from a colleague? You can subscribe via the form on our website.

Submit Your News

Do you have news to share with the Nexus community?

Send your alerts, upcoming events, resources, and job postings to AskNCELA

by Monday, April 22, 2024, for inclusion in the next edition of Nexus.

April is National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, a time to recognize the needs and achievements of bilingual and multilingual learners. As a proud Bilingual educator, who now serves as the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director for the Office of English Language Acquisition, I want to take the time to share how valuable and important being bilingual is to me.

Being Bilingual has opened up a world of opportunities in life, from being able to keep in touch with my loved ones back in Mexico, to learning and enjoying the beautiful arts from my heritage culture, to sharing my traditions and language with different types of people throughout the world. Being bilingual allows me to code-switch and to be my most authentic self. Soy de aquí y de allà with orgullo. Not to mention, being bilingual has added extra cash in my pocket in positions where I received a stipend or higher wage because I am bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural.

More than ever, our society must embrace and encourage a multilingual, multicultural and multiliterate society. It can only make us a stronger nation. As we recognize National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, I welcome you to join the Department of Education’s Call to Action for Bilingual and Multilingual Learners.

• Spark students’ interest in learning a second language and take pride in maintaining their first language.
• Encourage parents’ support and advocate for high-quality language programs in their schools.
• Urge colleges and universities to prioritize bilingual preparation programs for multilingual educators.
• Call on leaders and stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels to create, invest in and implement policies, processes and best practices focused on high-quality language programs.
• Call on workforce leaders at the national, state, and local levels to advocate and invest in language as a workforce credential.

In partnership,

Montserrat

The Region 15 Comprehensive Center, in collaboration with OELA, invites you to a series of learning sessions focused on what formative assessment is and how it can be implemented to support the academic and socioemotional growth of EL students, with a particular focus on early learners in Grades K–2.

The event hosts encourage participants to attend with their teams and recommend that attendees join for all three sessions.

Learning Session 1 – April 17, 2024

Learning Session 2 – June 26, 2024

Learning Session 3 – August 21, 2024

Do you have professional expertise in English learner programs or services, specifically bilingual or multilingual education or Grow Your Own GYO teacher education programs? Apply to be a peer reviewer for the FY 2024 National Professional Development (NPD) grant competition today. We are especially seeking potential reviewers with evaluation expertise. We appreciate those who have already submitted résumés; more information will be coming soon.

If you are interested, please reach out to NPD2024@ed.gov. The deadline to express interest is April 30, 2024.

OELA has launched a new resource designed specifically to help educators and stakeholders better assist families of ELs. This resource comes in the form of an outreach packet that includes a guide for effectively promoting the EL Family Toolkit to all EL stakeholders. To learn more about the outreach packet or to download the resource, check out this blog.

Presentation topics will include General Interest, Content Area Instruction, Bilingual/ESL Pre-K through 12, Higher Ed, and more. All registrations include one free year of NJTESOL/NJBE membership.

“Sparking Change, Integration, and Deep Connections,” renews our call to action and commitment to learning alongside leaders and experts from our changing communities. This professional development opportunity is an excellent chance for bilingual educators, counselors, and school district leaders who aim to create welcoming communities for newcomers to learn from each other.

La Cosecha Dual Language Conference

Conference

On a New Journey to Become a Nurse in the U.S

San Diego College of Continuing Education offers a tuition-free, 16-week Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program that prepares students for the State CNA examination and provides opportunities for clinical rotations at local hospitals and healthcare facilities. Graduates become State-certified as nurse assistants and can work in rehabilitation and long-term care facilities. This article tells the story of a Mexican-born nurse, Vanessa Munguia, who is a student enrolled in the program. She is in the process of learning English while also preparing to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam, and other certification and licensure exams.

How the 2024 National Teacher of the Year Helps English Learners Adapt in Rural Appalachia

The new National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman, is an English as a Second Language specialist at Rogersville City School in an Appalachian community in Tennessee. She is a strong advocate for her students, many of whom are new to her school and community, and is spending the next year traveling the country, speaking out about important issues to teachers. This article features an interview with Testerman about her work in educating and supporting EL students and families.

NEW RESOURCES: Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families Through Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Services

“Infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) services can play an important part in supporting young children’s well-being and development. For young children in immigrant and refugee families, who make up about one-fourth of all U.S. children ages 0–5, IECMH support can be particularly impactful. These services can, for example, help mitigate the effects of trauma and stressors related to migration and acculturation experiences.” Download this brief to get insights on the importance of IECMH services and what opportunities policymakers and practitioners have to ensure equitable access.

NEW RESOURCE: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know: Scoring ACCESS for ELLs

This article focuses on the ACCESS for ELLS (English language learners) assessment suite. It is intended to help educators interpret the ACCESS for ELLs score reports and learn how the scores are calculated. This publication discusses the scoring process, the duration of this process, and how educators can interpret the scores for the various domains of the assessment and apply this interpretation in their work.

TIPS FOR EDUCATORS: Are You Using This Protocol to Engage Multilingual Learners in Math?

“Now, math classes are filled with opportunities for rich language use, and math can provide a very concrete way for [MLs] to use and develop academic language.There are many instructional strategies that teachers can use to support MLs in acquiring the academic language of math and in understanding and engaging with mathematical concepts.” This article focuses a math strategy called the Three Read Protocol, designed to help MLs understand math word problems and improve their academic language development.

This resource includes activities available in multiple languages for families to start conversations with their children about their family, what they like to play, how they feel, and much more. Educators can use these resources to learn more about their students and their families.

In this position paper, Margo Gottlieb, Ph.D., analyzes policies and practices related to the expansion of multiliteracies and their effect on the teaching and learning process for MLs. She explains how multiliteracies can improve the learning experience for MLs and also provides an evaluation of the Science of Reading.

Listen to the ASSETS podcast to hear Montserrat Garibay, Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director for OELA, discuss the challenges encountered by ELs in the U.S. education system. She also provides insights into the collaborative efforts between OELA and ED to address these challenges.

Diversifying the teacher workforce is a high priority for the States and districts that the Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) partner with and for education systems nationwide. This infographic provides a snapshot of resources available from the RELs and Comprehensive Centers that discuss examples of ways to implement strategies for supporting teacher diversity.

OCDE Project GLAD® and the AIM4S³™ Math Summer Institute: Unlock the power of teaching and learning at the OCDE Project GLAD® and the AIM4S³™ Math Summer Institute from June 11–12, 2024. These sessions will empower you to enhance your grasp of these powerful frameworks; engage in student-centered instructional strategies for key content areas such as math, language arts, social studies, and science; and deepen your understanding of integrating content and language to support ELs and academic language learners in your classroom.

Cultivating the Pedagogy of Translanguaging: The Translanguaging Institute will bring together a diverse group of educators who serve emergent bilingual students and families from June 13–14, 2024. The institute will unite educators from across New Mexico and the United States

This summer, CARLA will offer 14 institutes (online and in-person) from June 24 to August 2 on a wide range of topics, including Critical Approaches to Heritage Language Education, Practical Program Evaluation for Heritage Language Programs, Teaching for Proficiency in Dual Language Immersion, Introduction to Dual Language Immersion, and more!

District of Columbia Public Schools

Washington, DC

TNTP

Connecticut and Massachusetts (preferred locations)

OELA has published a new discretionary report. This document highlights information from the 2016, 2017, and 2021 grantee cohorts of the NPD Program, comprising 142 grantees in the 2021–22 project year.

The data captures the grantees’ program performance results based on three Government Performance and Results Act measures for the 2016, 2017, and 2021 cohorts.

Subscribe to NCELA Nexus

Did you receive the Nexus from a colleague? You can subscribe via the form on our website.

Submit Your News

Do you have news to share with the Nexus community?

Send your alerts, upcoming events, resources, and job postings to AskNCELA

by Monday, April 22, 2024, for inclusion in the next edition of Nexus.

Dual language education is a powerful tool for fostering multilingualism and providing equitable access to high-quality instruction for English and multilingual learners (MLs). As part of its commitment to nurture all students’ multilingualism, OELA is hosting a series of webinars focused on dual language education. The first two webinars are designed to deepen administrators’ understanding of what dual language education is, why it is beneficial for all students, and how to support its implementation in an educational context.

April Series: The 3 W’s of Dual Language Education for State, Local, and Site Leaders: What, Why, How

• Part 1: Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 1 PM ET
• Part 2: Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 1 PM ET

• Part 1: Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 2 PM ET
• Part 2: Thursday, May 16, 2024, 2 PM ET

OELA participated at the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) 53rd Annual International Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona closed with remarks to 3,000 multilingual educators, highlighting the return of the Title III program to OELA after 15 years, the Notice of Inviting Applications (NIA) for the National Professional Development (NPD) grant program to increase the number of bilingual and multilingual educators, the seal of biliteracy in 50 states, and the work OELA is doing to raise the bar for multilingualism.

In addition, Montserrat Garibay, Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director, and Beatriz Ceja, Deputy Assistant Secretary, represented OELA during the NABE Conference by:

• Participating in 11 engagements and presentations of #RaisingTheBar for multilingualism
• Connecting with bilingual leaders and committed stakeholders across the country
• Sharing information about the NIA for the NPD “Grow Your Own” grant to increase the number of bilingual and multilingual educators supporting English learners
• Sharing infographics, fact sheets, the Newcomer and English Learner Toolkits, and upcoming webinars at the OELA booth
• Connecting with NPD grantees

OELA has published a new discretionary report. This document highlights information from the 2016, 2017, and 2021 grantee cohorts of the NPD Program, comprising 142 grantees in the 2021-22 project year.

The data captures the grantees’ program performance results based on three Government Performance and Results Act measures for the 2016, 2017, and 2021 cohorts. The report also presents descriptions and graphs illustrating grantee program types, project features, and reported program outcomes, progress, and challenges.

Did you know that OELA has a resource containing statistics on ELs with disabilities, including autism? Check out the English Learners with Disabilities (ELSWD) infographic to access informative, State-specific data. Additionally, explore the resources offered by your State educational agency for ELSWD and discover its recommendations for serving and supporting students covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B.

Presentation topics will include General Interest, Content Area Instruction, Bilingual/ESL Pre-K through 12, Higher Ed, and more. All registrations include one free year of NJTESOL/NJBE membership.

“Sparking Change, Integration, and Deep Connections,” renews our call to action and commitment to learning alongside leaders and experts from our changing communities. This professional development opportunity is an excellent chance for bilingual educators, counselors, and school district leaders who aim to create welcoming communities for newcomers to learn from each other.

Smoothing the Path for Immigrants to Finish Their College Degrees

Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic group in the United States, but data show they are less likely than other racial and ethnic groups to have earned a college diploma. A new bilingual college program at Davenport University will offer 12 online undergraduate and graduate programs in an entirely bilingual and bicultural format. With alternating weekly instruction in Spanish and English and support services in both languages, the program addresses the lower college completion rates among Latinos in the United States. Accepted students receive $9,200 in scholarships annually to enhance financial accessibility.

Newcomer Students Share Stories of Learning English in an Increasingly Crowded System

The Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth (CBFY) is a Canadian organization designed to support immigrant and refugee youth. Much of the foundation’s work involves helping schools and teachers to navigate the influx of new students as they learn English. The CBFY interviews newcomer students as they join Calgary’s school system. These interviews indicate where students are in their learning process and help the foundation connect families with resources such as mentorships and in-school programs for young newcomers. Newcomers are often faced with entering a new school system and learning a new language, all while navigating an unfamiliar environment. This article shares their stories of hopes, hardships, and successes.

Latino-Led Charter Schools Attract Philadelphia Families With Tight-Knit Communities and Spanish

The Latino population in Philadelphia has nearly tripled since 2000, reaching around 16% of the city’s residents in 2020. Many Latino families opt for charter schools run by Latino-led nonprofits, citing their ability to address gaps left by the school district. These schools offer greater cultural representation, language accessibility, and stronger community bonds compared to traditional public schools. While most Hispanic students attend district schools, they make up 18% of charter school enrollment. The school district acknowledges these disparities and is actively hiring more Spanish-speaking bilingual counseling assistants and teachers to address them.

TIPS FOR EDUCATORS: Apps Are Helping Teachers Communicate With Families that Don’t Speak English

ReachWell is an app that allows teachers to text in English and parents to receive the messages in their own language. ReachWell and similar translation apps have become more common, and for some teachers, they’ve become crucial as educators work to communicate with the rising number of families that speak languages other than English. The apps often allow communications between parents and teachers to feel personal. In addition to seeing text from teachers in their native language on ReachWell, parents can respond in their native language and teachers see the replies in English.

TIPS FOR EDUCATORS: How School Librarians Can Support ELLs

In November 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration launched the “Being Bilingual Is a Superpower” initiative to “promote multilingual education and bolster high-quality language programs and a diverse multilingual educator workforce across the country.” While this sounds promising, it’s necessary to recognize that every stakeholder in education needs to play a role for this initiative to succeed, and librarians are an integral part of this plan. This article offers eight ways librarians can support multilingualism in schools and bolster literacy rates of ELs.

Listen to the ASSETS podcast to hear Montserrat Garibay, Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director for OELA, discuss the challenges encountered by ELs in the U.S. education system. She also provides insights into the collaborative efforts between OELA and ED to address these challenges.

Diversifying the teacher workforce is a high priority for the States and districts that the Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) partner with and for education systems nationwide. This infographic provides a snapshot of resources available from the RELs and Comprehensive Centers that discuss examples of ways to implement strategies for supporting teacher diversity.

OCDE Project GLAD® and the AIM4S³™ Math Summer Institute: Unlock the power of teaching and learning at the OCDE Project GLAD® and the AIM4S³™ Math Summer Institute from June 11–12, 2024. These sessions will empower you to enhance your grasp of these powerful frameworks; engage in student-centered instructional strategies for key content areas such as math, language arts, social studies, and science; and deepen your understanding of integrating content and language to support ELs and academic language learners in your classroom.

Cultivating the Pedagogy of Translanguaging: The Translanguaging Institute will bring together a diverse group of educators who serve emergent bilingual students and families from June 13–14, 2024. The institute will unite educators from across New Mexico and the United States

This summer, CARLA will offer 14 institutes (online and in-person) from June 24 to August 2 on a wide range of topics, including Critical Approaches to Heritage Language Education, Practical Program Evaluation for Heritage Language Programs, Teaching for Proficiency in Dual Language Immersion, Introduction to Dual Language Immersion, and more!

For educators serving young MLs, reading books in a child’s home language can advance key language and literacy skills. This quick guide supports early childhood educators in selecting, evaluating, and using books in the home languages of young MLs.

Danville Public Schools

Danville, Virginia

San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools

San Bernardino, California

The EL Family Toolkit helps families and educators stay connected to the latest tips, innovative tools, and practical resources for supporting ELs enrolled in U.S. schools. This FREE app from ED is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic and can be downloaded on Android and Apple devices!

Subscribe to NCELA Nexus

Did you receive the Nexus from a colleague? You can subscribe via the form on our website.

Submit Your News

Do you have news to share with the Nexus community?

Send your alerts, upcoming events, resources, and job postings to AskNCELA

by Monday, April 8, 2024, for inclusion in the next edition of Nexus.