This brief explores the potential of bilingual programs to support access to core content courses for students classified as English Learners (ELs). The most common types of bilingual education programs in Oregon are: (1) dual language: instruction is in English and a partner language, with goals of biliteracy and bilingualism. This is also known…

This brief explores the potential to leverage specialized teacher preparation to support students classified as English learners (ELs) in access to core content. Teachers with specialized preparation for working with EL-classified students were identified, using data from the Oregon Department of Education from 2013-14 through 2018-2019.…

Given the increasing concern about the scarcity of Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) teachers, it is crucial to understand the trends in teacher retention and attrition from the perspective of DLBE teachers themselves. DLBE teachers departing from their jobs imposes a significant burden on schools and students and affects the implementation…

This policy brief explores the extent to which students classified as English learners (ELs) are excluded from core content in high school. Using statewide data from Oregon (2013/14-2018/19) and Michigan (2011/12-2014/15), the percentages of current, former, and never ELs enrolled in any class in each core content area were tabulated and gaps in…

Educators (school administrators, teachers, district officials, etc.) often use parental satisfaction 'as one indicator of school success or one outcome of school effectiveness' [Parkes, J., and T. Ruth. 2011. "How Satisfied are Parents of Students in Dual Language Education Programs? (Me parece maravillosa la gran oportunidad que le están…

Teachers Educating All Multilingual Students (TEAMS) is a teacher professional development program at Oregon State University that culminates in an English for speakers of other languages endorsement and/or a dual language specialization. TEAMS is partially funded through an Office of English Language Acquisition National Professional Development…

This paper is the first to examine the longitudinal results of six years of implementation of Literacy Squared, a biliteracy model for Spanish/English speaking emerging bilingual students. This model includes paired literacy instruction with grade-specific time allocations for Spanish literacy and literacy-based ELD. Furthermore, cross-language…

This article shares insights developed by two US-based professors as they co-taught an introductory ESOL education course within a teacher education program at a major Chinese university. Namely, the authors discuss how their perspectives on curriculum and instruction for Chinese pre-service teachers were enriched by their experience teaching in…

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and Office of Early Learning (OEL) has synthesized key data on English learners (ELs) and early learning into two-page PDF sheets, by topic, with graphics, plus key contacts. The topics for this report include: (1) State-funded preschool programs with highest percentage of ELs: Fall 2013; (2)…

Though it is estimated that about half of the world's population is bilingual, the estimate for the United States is well below 20% (Grosjean, 2010). Amid growing recognition of the need for second language skills to facilitate international commerce and national security and to enhance learning opportunities for non-native speakers of English,…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore and identify issues related to training teachers to use a bilingual writing rubric designed to examine the biliterate writing of emerging bilingual students who are participating in a biliteracy model. Findings indicate the need to provide clarifications on the rubric rating criteria and the…

This fact sheet provides demographic information for the young Dual Language Learner (DLL) population in Oregon, based on Migration Policy Institute (MPI) analysis of U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) data pooled over the 2011-15 period. DLLs, defined as children ages 8 and under with at least one parent who speaks a language…

Although course assignments require English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher candidates to design activities, performance assessments, and lessons that balance the teaching of the English language and academic content, the ESL teacher candidates remain perplexed as to how to teach without a prescribed curriculum. The answer is challenging, given…

In this paper, we describe a 30-month qualitative exploration of diverse teachers' identities in a high-poverty, bilingual, K-8 public charter school in rural eastern Oregon. First, we use the perspectives of saberes docentes and a situated view of teacher development to document the life histories of monolingual and bilingual teachers at Vista…

The purpose of this bulletin is to examine general policies and principles of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) education, to assess the status of the ESL program at the state level in Oregon, and to examine ESL programs in two Oregon school districts. The study is concerned with both the quantitative (demography, budget allocations) and…