English Language Learners

This New America report explores Illinois’ approach to serving students who are English Language Learners (EL), looking at strengths and challenges related to these EL student outcomes and how the state approaches these challenges in their Every Student Succeeds Act ESSA plans using a New America framework.

This report by the Center for American Progress (CAP) summarizes the findings of a 108-school district survey focused on human capital systems. CAP compares recruitment, selection, evaluation, and retention systems and practices used in school districts to those used in other sectors, including banking, retail, technology, and consulting. Additionally, CAP examines district practices for recruiting and supporting diverse candidates.

This report presents an analysis of teacher characteristics and learning experiences and describes how they can affect English language learner (ELL) student outcomes in mathematics. Teachers with prior experience teaching ELL students and teachers who pursued specific training in ELL instructional strategies achieved positive gains with their ELL mathematics students when compared with non-ELL students. Teachers with years of generic teaching experience did not achieve similar gains.

This working paper presents findings from an investigation on the impact of demographic matches or mismatches  on teacher expectations for students in high schools. Findings indicate that non-black teachers of black students have lower expectations for their students than their black counterparts, particularly for male students and in math, providing additional support for the hiring of a more diverse and representative teaching force.