Seeking Effective Policies and Practices for English Language Learners

Thursday, May 31, 2007
3:45 – 6:00 PM

Courtyard Marriott
75 Felton Street
Marlborough, MA

Presented by the:  
Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy

Join us for the release of a research report and a policy discussion on effective practices for successfully educating English language learners in Massachusetts.

Session Overview

Achievement gaps for English language learners (ELL) continue to plague schools and districts across Massachusetts and the nation. It is clear that if the goal of education reform to move ALL students to proficiency is truly to be realized, the needs of non-native English speakers must be successfully addressed. The additional pressures of disaggregated student sub-group data required under the No Child Left Behind Act, as well as the growing number of English language learners across the state, have made it critical that educators and policymakers attend to issues of instructional quality and outcomes for these students. Nearly five years after the passage of a ballot initiative promoting Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) as the primary means of teaching English to non-native speakers, the Rennie Center invites practitioners and policymakers to join a discussion of policies for successfully educating English language learners and a presentation of research on effective practices for ELLs from three Massachusetts districts.

Policy Discussion
The agenda for this session will focus on both policy and practice. During the first portion of the program, the Rennie Center will release and discuss findings from a new report titled, Seeking Effective Policies and Practices for English Language Learners. The research includes case studies of three exemplary Massachusetts districts' efforts to effectively and systematically meet the needs of ELL students. In the report, we also examine the instruction and services that ELL students are receiving across Massachusetts public schools and conclude with recommendations for improving the quality of education for ELL students throughout the Commonwealth. Following the research presentation, panelists will examine and consider implications of effective policies to meet the challenges of English language learners.

Best Practice Breakout Sessions
The second portion of the event will be a discussion of practice through an examination of what is currently working in Massachusetts schools and districts. Attendees will be invited to join one of three concurrent breakout sessions for the elementary, middle and secondary school levels. Breakout sessions will consist of roundtable discussions facilitated by teams from Brockton, Framingham and Malden, the three case study schools included in the Rennie Center's research report. During these sessions, attendees will have an opportunity to engage with case study school teams to pose questions and explore successful practices used in each of the schools.

Research Presentation
Celine Coggins, Ph.D., Research Director, Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy