How do Odds-beating Schools Meet the Needs of Linguistically Diverse Learners?

By Kristen Wilcox, Associate Professor and Director of Research and Development, NYKids

With pockets of teacher workforce shortages and long-standing questions as to what influences better outcomes for linguistically diverse learners, policymakers and district and school leaders have been encouraging innovations. Some of these innovations include incentives for teachers to add on credentials, so that they are better equipped to meet student needs.

Read more about what this looks like in California: Teacher-shortage-new-funds-help-districts-train-more-bilingual-teachers

Like other states, in New York growing numbers of English language learners/multilingual students (ELLs, MLLs), some of whom have experienced interruptions in their schooling, face the challenges of meeting college and career readiness standards for high school completion. At the same time, between 2010 and 2016 teacher preparation programs showed significant declines in enrollments and graduations and critical shortages specifically in the areas of English as a New Language (ENL) and bilingual education (New York Teacher Workforce Study). During this same period, a framework known as the Blueprint for English Language Learner/Multilingual Learner (ELL/MLL) Success was disseminated. In effect, the Blueprint was meant to address the need to prepare a large pool of teachers, and ideally a diverse pool, who are skilled in meeting the unique needs of the growing numbers of ELLs/MLLs in mainstream classrooms.

A concern for finding and developing teachers who have the knowledge, skills, and sensibilities to work effectively with ELLs/MLLs was found in NYKids’ most recent  Critical Needs College and Career Readiness Study. Several schools in the study serve relatively large numbers of ELLs/MLLs and with exemplary outcomes for those students.

What did we learn about how they meet ELLs’/MLLs’ needs and prepare them for college or career?

Freeport High School leaders actively seek to hire staff members who are best suited to support their large Spanish-speaking student population. They filter through candidates to find those who hold the English as a New Language (ENL) extension or a bilingual certification and have encouraged other staff to pursue these certifications. Importantly, they look beyond just instructional staff and look for bi-or multilingual skill and interest to work with ELLs/MLLs in their support staff such as social workers as well.

Like in Freeport, at Port Chester High School, district and school-wide opportunities for teachers to adapt their instruction to ELLs’/MLLs’ needs has also been offered. Teachers there were provided professional development on how to infuse language objectives in content instruction and given common planning time to work on adjusting their lessons with a language-rich lens in mind.

Read more about the ELL/MLL practices happening in odds-beating high schools.