Related Resources

Connecticut

Demographic Trends of Connecticut’s English Learners (SY 2015-16 to 2019-20) English Learners are a heterogeneous group of students, reflecting diverse languages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, cultures, socio-economic statuses and other characteristics. It is the civil right of English learners to receive language supports as a part of their core programming and accessibility supports embedded in their core grade-level academic content. This report examines the diverse characteristics of Connecticut’s English Learners such as immigrant and special education statuses, native languages spoken, their grade distribution and language program participation. It also highlights significant trends and changes they have experienced from SYs 2015-15 through 2019-20.

A Closer Look at Connecticut’s High School English Learners (SY 2018-19)  English learners (ELs) are a subgroup of Connecticut’s high school students, unique from their non-EL peers in the challenge they face to access and master secondary-level academic content while concurrently trying to develop English language proficiency. Additionally, they are also sometimes distinguished from non-EL peers by their demographic characteristics. This paper presents a statewide picture of high school ELs in SY 2018-19, including their demographics, assessment results and trends in these areas.

Academic Growth on the Mastery Examination of English Learners in Bilingual Education Programs (2017) This report presents the first results of the academic growth of English learners in bilingual education programs. The traditional approach to evaluating academic performance has been to report academic achievement. However, achievement is a snapshot measurement where the students evaluated are often different from one year to the next. Therefore, this report focuses on the growth or change in achievement of the same students from one year to the next i.e., from 2014-15 to 2015-16 on Connecticut's Smarter Balanced growth model.

Attendance

• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): Restart & Recovery: Promoting Attendance for English Learners in Remote and Hybrid Learning Environments

English Learner Data Bulletin 

Private/Non-Public Schools and English Learners

• New: Non-Regulatory Guidance: Fiscal Changes and Equitable Services Requirements under the ESEA of 1965, as Amended by the ESSA 11/21/16
• Letter regarding Local Education Agency (LEA) responsibilities, April 2012
• Sample letter to private/non-public schools, September 2012
• Title III, Part A - Equitable Services to Private School Students and Teachers, United States Department of Education, June 2009
• Title IX, Part E Uniform Provisions Subpart 1 - Private Schools, United States Department of Education, August 2005

Supporting Dual Language Learners in Early Learning Settings 

• White House press release
• Federal policy statement
• Dual Language Learners Toolkit
• Meeting the Needs of Dual Language Learners

Handbooks and Resources

• Demographic Trends of Connecticut’s English Learners (SY 2015-16 to 2019-20)

• A Closer Look at Connecticut’s High School English Learners (SY 2018-19)

• New: The Coaching and Self-Reflection Tool for Competency in Teaching English Learners - Aligned to the Connecticut Common Core of Teaching Rubric for Effective Teaching 2016 
• Scientific Research-Based Interventions for English Language Learners: A Handbook to Accompany Connecticut's Framework for RTI
• English Learners and Special Education: A Resource Handbook 2011
• Guidelines for Implementing Language Transition Support Services (LTSS) - 2002
• New: English Learners: General Information Slides Notes
• New: Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood Settings Slides Notes Handout
• EL Strategies Desk Cards (Tip Sheets for ALL Classroom Teachers)

Families and Educators

• Chapter 10: Ensuring Meaningful Communication with Limited English Proficient Parents
  The English Learner Tool Kit helps state and local education agencies help English Learners by fulfilling legal obligations under civil rights laws.
• Connecticut English Language Proficiency (CELP) Standards Information for Parents, Families and Community Members
  Provides information about the CELP standards and what they mean for students.
• 4 Ways to Support your English Learner at Home Bookmark [Arabic] [Mandarin Chinese] [English] [Haitian Creole] [Polish] [Portuguese] [Spanish]
• Connecticut Family Guide to Supporting English Learners [English] [Spanish]
  This guide provides families with information to support their children as they learn English, answers to frequently asked questions, web resources, and English language development Web sites.

Professional Organizations

• CAPELL
• ConnTESOL
• National Association for Bilingual Education
• TESOL International

United States Department of Education

• New: U.S. Department of Education English Learner Resources
  • New: U.S. DOE Non-Regulatory Guidance: English Learners and Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 9/23/16
  • New: Addendum to the September 23, 2016 Non-Regulatory Guidance: English Learners and Title III of the ESEA 1/2/19
• Dear Colleague Letter: Student Enrollment Practices (5/8/14)
• Dear Colleague Letter: OCR/DOJ Letter on Common Civil Rights Issues Pertaining to ELs, Dually Identified Students and Communicating with Parents (1/7/15)
  
  • USED DOJ OCR webinar series on ELs
• Office of English Language Acquisition Homepage
• English Learner Toolkit

Other

• CCSSO English Learners with Disabilities Guide (11/17)
• Education Commission of the States 
• Identifying and Supporting English Learner Students with Learning Disabilities: Key Issues in the Literature and State Practice
• Institute of Education Sciences Regional Education Laboratories (REL)
• National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition
• REL-NEI ELL Alliance
• REL Northeast and Islands
• REL northwest for EL articles and research studies
• Time to Reclassification: How Long Does It Take English Language Learners in the Washington Road Map School Districts To Develop English Proficiency?
• Understanding Language Initiative