1. Advocating for ESL
Students
By Daniela Rotundo Gonzalez
March 11, 2013

2. Who are these students?
What can New Jersey schools
and teachers do to educate
them?

3. An English Language Learner is a student for whom English is not his
native or first language. English Language Learner, or ELL, is only
one term to describe this type of student. Other terms include:
 CLD, Communicative and Linguistically Diverse learner
 ELD, English Language Development, which describes both the student
and the program; not generally used in New Jersey
 ESL or English as a Second Language, which describes both the
student and the program
 ESOL, English to Speakers of Other Languages
 LCD, Linguistically and Culturally Diverse
 LEP, Limited English Proficient
 NEP, Non-English Proficient
 NES, Non-English Speaker
 PEP, Potentially English Proficient, a term used to more positively
describe an LEP student
 SAE, Student Acquiring English
 SLL, Second Language Learner

4. There are more than 276,031 PreK-12 students for whom
English is not their first language. Of this group, 61,702 are
identified as Limited English Proficient. There are approximately
151 languages spoken by English Language Learners in New
Jersey. Of these, the following languages have the highest LEP
enrollment:
 Spanish
 Korean
 Portuguese
 Arabic
 Gujarati (India)
 Mandarin
 Polish
 Urdu (Pakistan)
 Creole (Haitian)
 Tagalog
 Vietnamese

5. The ELLs enter New Jersey's schools with a variety
of different ability levels. They may have:
 never been exposed to English, but have strong first language skills
 some command of social/oral English language
 a small amount of English literacy, having just begun studying English in their
native country
 weak first language skills due to interrupted or limited schooling in their native
land.
ELLs in New Jersey may come from various types of
families:
 nuclear two-parent families
 extended families, including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins
 single-parent families

6. What is ELL policy?
The term "ELL policy" to refer to policies at the federal, state, and
local that impact the education of English language learners (ELLs).
This includes:
 Federal ELL regulations
 State ELL regulations
 Local policies at the school or district level impacting ELLs
 The history of U.S. language policy
 Important national and state court cases
 Discussion topics and questions from the field
 Current news and updates
 Tools for advocacy and engagement

7. To meet the challenges of teaching and learning
on a national and state level, educators and
policymakers need to create or facilitate the
following:
 A set of mutually agreed-upon standards for English
language teaching and professional development.
 Assessments that accurately measure English language
learner progress, strengths and weaknesses, and school
accountability.
 Passage of an immigration bill that encourages all students
to achieve academically at all levels.
 Support for school reform to ensure safe and effective
learning environments for all students

8. On a local and classroom level, educators need
to create classrooms that:
 Foster a vision of immigrant and English language
learners as assets to our schools, communities and
country.
 Use a wide variety of teaching methods, including
collaborative learning.
 Base teaching and learning on the needs of individual
students.
 Teach many means of communication, including a
strong focus on writing.

9. Schools need the following to effectively
address ELL students:
 A research-based process for the effective teaching of ELLs
 Curriculum design and lesson planning based on sound pedagogical
principles, practices, and high standards
 Strategic methods to employ for making grade-level materials and
resources comprehensible for ELLs
 Research-based training on theory, culture, diversity, social status,
and policy of language acquisition
 Training, technical assistance, and/or funding for programs and
services for ELL students
 Advocacy that will increase awareness as to the coalitions that
support educators who work with ELLs
 Resources that will help educators learn more about effective,
differentiated teaching strategies specifically addressing ELLs.

10. How to reach out to parents of ELL
students
 Use their preferred language
This is an essential place to start. Without a common language, very little
communication can take place. Here are some ways to build an ongoing relationship
with parents by reaching out through their native language.
 Find a fully bilingual interpreter.
Whether a school employee, parent liaison, family member, friend, or community
member, this person can translate for parent-teacher conferences, back-to-school
nights, PTA meetings, and regular communication. It is best to find an adult and not rely
on the student as the translator, as this practice can disempower the parent.

11.  Translate the written communications that you
send home.
Find a way to send home personal notes and materials in that language. This will
keep parents in the loop on issues such as report cards, school events, and
homework. Try to offer complete translations in a straightforward preferred
language that parents can understand.
 Learn some words in that language yourself.
Even if it is just some common words and greetings, using words in their
language with parents will make them feel welcome.
 Put parents in touch with bilingual staff.
Give parents a list of names and phone numbers of bilingual staff in the school
and district who they can contact to deal with educational concerns. Also
encourage them to reach out to other parents who are bilingual or monolingual so
they can share experiences and help one another.

12. Educate parents about the U.S. school system
To support their children's education, the parents of your ELL students
need to understand how the U.S. school system and culture work.
Listen to parents' concerns, answer their questions, and provide them
with written materials in their language. Make sure that they
understand things like:
 How your school works-If necessary, review school hours, school
holidays, school rules, school trajectory from pre-kindergarten through
high school, and the school's administrative hierarchy.
 Your school curriculum, standards, benchmarks, and materials-
Consider that in many Latin American countries, the curriculum is very
centralized. There is often one set of books. Uniforms are usually
required. And rules tend to be the same for all schools across an entire
country

13.  Teacher/school expectations-Explain that teachers hope and expect
that parents will help with homework, find tutors, read books, tell
stories, take their children to the library, visit the classroom, and
become involved in the school.
 Parent rights-Make certain that your ELL parents know about their
rights regarding access to interpreters and translated materials from
your school, free lunch programs, your school's ELL curriculum,
supplementary school services that may be available to their children,
and anything else that parents at your school have a right to know. If
your school receives federal funds, provide information on the No
Child Left Behind requirements of schools and the rights of parents.
 Language programs-Work in collaboration with your school social
service worker or guidance counselor, and explain the
different language program options that your school has, why they
work the way they do, and why the chosen program may be most
suitable for their children. If parents have doubts, discuss their options
and invite them to visit and observe the class.

14. How to use these resources?
Some settings in which these resources may be useful
include:
 Conversations with students, parents, colleagues, and
administrators
 Professional development settings district planning
sessions
 School board meetings
 Meetings with lawmakers

15. Tips from Educators
http://bcove.me/c0muczlb
*In what ways can you advocate for the ELL students in the district in which
you currently work?
*In what ways do can you communicate with ELL parents so that there is open
communication?

16. Resources for teachers to use when they have
ELL students in mainstream classroom
 http://www.nj.gov/education/bilingual/
 http://www.esl-guide.com/dir/newjersey/index.html
 http://nationalclearinghouseforenglishlanguageacquisition
 http://colorincolorado.org
 http://www.tesol.org
 http://www.everythingESL.net