English Language Learning

High quality bilingual education and English as a second language (ESL) programs are particularly beneficial for Spanish-speaking students, but many English language learners (ELLs) find themselves in schools in rural areas where there is limited knowledge about how they learn best and limited resources to implement instructional programs that address their needs.

The largest growth in the nation’s schools has occurred among Hispanics. Between 1999 and 2010, Hispanics are projected to account for 43 percent of U.S. population growth. By 2025, nearly one in four school-age youngsters will be Hispanic. The percentage of Hispanics is well above 80% in the migrant population. Language-minority students historically have been concentrated in urban areas of a few large states such as California and Florida. According to Suarez-Orozco of Harvard University, "If you turn to other parts of the country, you really see the beginnings of a transformation that is unprecedented in U.S. history. What we see is a real fanning out from the traditional regions of the country."

In response to this growing need nationwide, the federal government is providing funds to states through Title III: Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The purpose of this initiative is: "to help ensure that children who are limited English proficient, including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, and meet the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet."

Follow the links below to learn more about how the Eastern Stream Center can help.

Our library of resources also has a full listing of ELL-related materials.