Why does it matter?
Because every student should engage in learning that allows them to thrive academically and choose their path for success. Multilingual learners are no different.
Multilingual learners deserve a quality education, just like anyone else.
And, they have a legal obligation to it. Decades of legal precedent have reaffirmed their constitutional right to an education that will help them achieve their dreams for success, just like anyone else.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional and violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Serna v. Portales Municipal Schools
This was a landmark legal case that helped establish the right to bilingual education. The court ruled that schools that receive federal assistance must provide bilingual education for non-English speaking children to ensure equal educational opportunity under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Castañeda v. Pickard
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals established guidelines for bilingual education programs that helped advance the rights of bilingual education.
- Program must be based on a sound educational theory.
- Program must be implemented with sufficient rigor.
- Program must demonstrate evidence of effectiveness in overcoming language barriers.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional and violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Serna v. Portales Municipal Schools
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional and violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Castañeda v. Pickard
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional and violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
- Program must be based on a sound educational theory.
- Program must be implemented with sufficient rigor.
- Program must demonstrate evidence of effectiveness in overcoming language barriers.
Multilingual learners bring a diversity of assets. Yet, our education system fails them.
Academic proficiency for EL students vs. non-EL students
Our students' languages, backgrounds, and lived experiences should be seen as assets. Yet, academic proficiency for multilingual learners has remained in the single digits for many years. What we’ve done for the past few decades hasn’t worked.
Students identified as English learners have been the fastest-growing population of students and are represented across the country.
Percentage of public school students who were English learners (ELs), by state or jurisdiction: Fall 2021
Our multilingual learners deserve a lot more. They deserve a quality education.
Many districts and state education agencies have instructional frameworks aligned to their state’s learning standards. These frameworks include a variety of focus areas — professional learning, leadership, and positive school culture.
Research shows us that instructional materials matter.
They can lower beginning teachers’ cognitive load during their first year, and ensure they stick to grade-level content.
Switching to high-quality instructional materials has proven to show the highest ROI for schools over any other policy change.
They can narrow the achievement gap.
Materials are part of the foundation of a broader instructional model.
We know materials are not the only solution. But they are the baseline support every teacher deserves. Development and implementation are essential parts of it.
When thoughtfully developed and effectively implemented, high-quality materials free teachers to focus on what matters most – meeting the diverse needs of their students.
It’s about designing and selecting materials that reflect your commitment to multilingual learners. It’s about being intentional, every step of the way.
“The better instructional materials we have, the better the actual teaching and learning can be. If I’m trying to navigate finding instructional materials, then I’m not focusing on implementing it, or executing or the strategies.”
Yet, teachers do not have the instructional materials needed to ensure their multilingual learners succeed.
do not feel materials include research-based practices that are known to support multilingual learners.
Wynn, L and Zahner, W (2022), Raising Teachers’ Voices, What do teachers say about how well their instructional materials support English learners?
use self-created materials nearly every day or several times a month.
Wynn, L and Zahner, W (2022), Raising Teachers’ Voices, What do teachers say about how well their instructional materials support English learners?
searching for and creating instructional resources, many of them unvetted.
Goldberg, M. (2016). Classroom Trends: Teachers as Buyers of Instructional Materials and Users of Technology.
on assignments that aren’t appropriate for their grade level.
TNTP (2018), The Opportunity Myth
What if we equipped teachers with the tools they need and deserve?
High-quality instructional materials ensure teachers are given the tools and resources they need to effectively support their multilingual students. They also help mitigate low expectations, bias, and subjective mindsets.
That’s why we created ELSF. By focusing specifically on increasing the quality and accessibility of instructional materials, we can transform the learning landscape for multilingual learners and improve outcomes.
“At this place in time with all the challenges in education, curriculum is the lever to make sure we’re addressing equity. It’s about equitable access to high-level learning.”
