NCELA Newsletter Header
December 20, 2022
Announcements
New Podcast! Effective Literacy Instruction for MLs
OELA just released a new podcast on effective literacy instruction for MLs as a follow-up to the webinar Effective Literacy Instruction for Multilingual Learners: What it is and What it Looks Like. The two-part podcast is hosted by OELA’s Melissa Escalante, Lead Management and Program Analyst.
 
In Part 1, Dr. Laurie Olsen, Strategic Advisor from Sobrato Early Academic Language, discusses key understandings about literacy development for MLs and literacy instruction in English-only educational contexts. Grace Delgado leads a Q&A with Aloise Miller, Adjunct Professor from Seidlitz Education.
 
In Part 2, Dr. Kathy Escamilla, Professor Emerita at the University of Colorado, discusses literacy development in bilingual settings, followed by a Q&A moderated between Grace Delgado and Dr. Ana DeGenna, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services at Oxnard School District. 
Information ELevated: Language Instruction Educational Programs, School Year (SY) 2019–20 
There’s a new episode of Information ELevated! This video offers a snapshot of data from EDFacts and Consolidated State Performance Reports on ELs and their participation in Language Instruction Educational Programs that instruct ELs in English and another language.
 
Local education agencies have the ability to offer a variety of programs to help ELs meet challenging state standards and acquire proficiency in English. Watch the video to learn more about EL enrollment in bilingual education and dual language programs for school year 2019–20, the top five state education agencies offering these programs, and languages of instruction.
Upcoming Events
Join Internationals Network for Public Schools educators for a webinar to learn insights on strengthening school-based systems to support postsecondary readiness and success for immigrant multilingual students. This webinar highlights learnings from their new Learning Brief.
Join SupportEd Founder and President Diane Staehr Fenner, PhD, and Principal Associate Sydney Snyder, PhD, as they host an interactive webinar on fostering MLs' oral language development and content understanding. Participants will also gain access to a Padlet of free tools and resources, and one participant will win a best-selling SupportEd book.
Join the National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA), in partnership with TransACT, for a webinar where Dr. Debbie Zacarian will look closely at changing trends in leadership and student empowerment, federal and state policies and their impact on MLs and their families, and strategies for moving from a deficit- to an asset-based approach with students and families. The webinar will cover the 2nd Edition of Transforming Schools for Multilingual Learners: A Comprehensive Guide for Educators due out in January.
February 21–22, 2023
Hybrid Conference
Join NAELPA in Portland, OR, for their 2023 Hybrid Conference. The theme of this year’s conference is Assume Greatness: Diversity IS our Strength, featuring author and journalist Jo Napolitano as keynote speaker. The conference includes virtual pre-conferences in early February (exact dates to be announced soon), in-person and virtual presentations on February 22, and new this year — an exclusive in-person workshop with Dr. Michelle Yzquierdo on February 21.
February 22–25, 2023
Conference
The National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Conference will take place in Portland, OR. The conference includes sessions for teachers in the field of dual language, English as a second language, administrators, paraprofessionals, university professors, students, researchers, advocates, policymakers, and parents.
Join the global community of English language professionals for TESOL 2023 in Portland, OR! Through an engaging in-person event, you will be able to choose from 900 in-person sessions, access 200 virtual sessions, and interact with exhibitors.
In the News
National Public Radio
The number of Indiana students learning English grew by more than 50% in the past 5 years. A new initiative offers free training for educators to learn how to teach these students. The Indiana Department of Education is partnering with the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis to boost the number of teachers licensed to help English language learners. Indiana will spend $2 million to fund tuition, books, and material fees for current educators and bachelor’s degree holders to complete coursework leading to English as a New Language licensure.
kxan
In a study published in March, University of Texas Associate Professor Maria Arredondo revealed how bilingual infants from 6 to 10 months old think and learn differently from those who grow up in monolingual households. Even before their first words, bilingual children are already able to differentiate languages. This unique skill allows bilinguals to strengthen parts of the brain that are essential to managing behavior and planning. The researcher hopes that research on the benefits of bilingualism will lead to establishment of more dual language programs in Texas and encourage parents to introduce new languages to their children as early as possible.
Institute of Education Sciences
New Mexico is one of 48 states that offer a biliteracy seal to high school graduates to recognize their proficiency in a non-English language. The Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest collaborated with a large urban district in New Mexico to study the characteristics and college readiness of students who earn different types of biliteracy seals and whether earning a seal improves college outcomes.
Californians Together
California’s school funding policy—the Local Control Funding Formula—mandates that local education agencies document goals, actions, services, and funding allocation to support student outcomes via the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). This report is the fourth in a series of analyses of LCAPs and is focused explicitly on ELs. The LCAPs reviewed are from districts with the largest number and highest percentages of ELs. The results revealed that public school districts had missed the mark in detailing explicit support for ELs. This report presents the analyses of 2021–24 LCAPs from 26 public school districts that serve either high percentages or high numbers of ELs. Findings signal the need for targeted support for this diverse student group.
Institute of Education Sciences
This year, Inside IES Research is publishing a series of blogs showcasing a diverse group of Institute of Education Sciences-funded education researchers and fellows who are making significant contributions to education research, policy, and practice. In this guest blog, Dr. Young-Suk Kim, Professor and Senior Associate Dean in the School of Education, University of California, Irvine, shares how her experiences and her work contribute to a better understanding of the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in education.
TNTP
A TNTP analysis of American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III district plans for spending over $100 billion indicate that millions of MLs attend school in a district that did not earmark funding for targeted interventions in support of their learning acceleration. TNTP’s new toolkit, Leveraging Opportunity Toolkit: The Use of Pandemic Recovery Funds to Support Multilingual Learners, provides guidance on how districts can take action to ensure MLs are reflected within American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief plans.
Professional Learning
The English Language Fellow Program sends experienced U.S. TESOL professionals on paid in-country teaching assignments at universities and other academic institutions around the world. As participants in this U.S. Department of State public diplomacy initiative, Fellows are citizen ambassadors who promote English language learning and mutual understanding through cultural exchange. Fellow projects are 10-month full-time positions for educators with a graduate degree in TESOL and demonstrated commitment to teaching ESL/EFL. Applications are accepted until all projects have been filled. Those who apply earlier have a greater chance of being selected when matching begins in January 2023.
This year marks the 21st Cambio de Colores-Change of Colors Conference, which has become the place for stakeholders to explore how our communities adapt to and benefit from demographic changes and to share how to enhance Latin@/Latinx/Hispanic and newcomer integration and well-being. This year, proposals are welcomed for posters, presentations, organized panels, and workshops on promising practices and/or research, especially in relation to the conference theme on “Identidades: Intersectionalities in the Latin@ Community and Beyond,” which addresses the diversity of Latin and immigrant/refugee communities. Proposals have a 500-word limit and are due by January 6, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Contact cambio@missouri.edu with questions.
The WIDA Annual Conference is the premier event for educators of pre-K through Grade 12 MLs, giving educators from around the globe the opportunity to share best practices and discover innovative classroom strategies. The in-person conference will take place October 17–20, 2023, in Milwaukee, WI. A curated virtual option will also be available. The call for proposals is now open and the deadline to submit a proposal is January 31, 2023. Registration for this event opens in spring 2023.
Job Opportunities
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Los Altos Hills, CA
Minneapolis Public Schools
Minneapolis, MN
Connect With NCELA
Happy Holidays!

From all of us at OELA, we wish you and yours peace and joy this holiday season and best wishes for 2023!

Subscribe to NCELA Nexus
Did you receive the Nexus from a colleague? You can subscribe here.
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 Tuesday, January 3, 2023 for inclusion in the next edition of Nexus.
National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA)
Disclaimer: NCELA Nexus is intended to share information that can be of use to educators, parents, learners, leaders, and other stakeholders in their efforts to ensure that every student, including ELs, is provided with the highest quality education and expanded opportunities to succeed. The information and materials presented on NCELA Nexus do not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by NCELA, the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), or the U.S. Department of Education.