The Center on English Language Proficiency (CELP) at Loyola Marymount University maintains the English/Multilingual Learner Research Repository. The Repository curates high-quality resources related to English Learners, including peer-reviewed journal articles, research studies, annotated bibliographies, reports, briefs, and other publications. The purpose of the repository is to provide educators, policymakers, researchers, and technical assistance providers with access to credible, relevant, and actionable evidence regarding English Learners.

Resources in the repository have been evaluated against eight quality review standards, including: the quality of the methodology; relevance to English Learner systems and capacity building; alignment with intended professional audiences; the evidence base; equity, language and cultural responsiveness; utility for practitioners; credibility of the source; and open online availability.

Capacity	Aligned Secretary Priority	Publication Name	Source Organization	Summary/Blurb
Organizational		English Learner Toolkit for SEAs and LEAs (2016)	U.S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA)	Comprehensive toolkit for state and local education agencies that supports identification, implementation, and evaluation of English learner programs aligned with federal civil rights requirements. Includes rubrics, planning tools, and annotated resources across ten operational chapters.
Organizational		English Language Learner & Multilingual Learner Educator Tools and Best Practices	New York State Education Department (NYSED)	Collection of statewide guidance, classroom tools, standards supports, and policy resources that help educators identify linguistic demands, design scaffolds, and implement New York’s Blueprint for EL/ML Success.
Organizational		Integrated ELD Guide for District Leaders (2024)	Oregon State University, Oregon Collaboration & Integration Collaborative	Leadership guide supporting district-level implementation of integrated ELD through planning tools, program models, self-assessments, implementation checklists, and systems guidance.
Organizational		Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (2022)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	The annotated bibliography is comprised of over 350 annotations from recent and seminal literature (released between 1984–2021) that have significant implications for research, policy, and practice for EL linguistic, social, and academic achievement. This annotated bibliography provides a comprehensive selection of works focused on theory, research, and practice for 23 topics in the field of English Learner and Multilingual Learner education. This annotated bibliography serves as the jumping-off point for the series of topic-specific selected annotated bibliographies that CEEL will publish from 2025-2026 and supersedes the previous (2021) annotated bibliography.
Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	English Learners with Disabilities: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2026)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	This annotated bibliography is comprised of 21 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding English Learners (ELs) who are dually identified as students with disabilities. English Learners (ELs) with disabilities refers to ELs who are also “children with disabilities” under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and in the Every Student Succeeds Act. Sometimes the term “dually identified” refers to students identified as both ELs and as children with disabilities. ELs who are dually identified as students with disabilities are an important group of students within the EL community. As a subset of both types of student groups and needs, consideration of the various typologies of ELs is vital to the understanding of and support for the diversity of the overall EL student population. By identifying their distinct needs, educators can ensure that all their learning strengths and needs are taken into account. As with all EL typologies, ‘English learner with disabilities’ is not a fixed status and students exit from services when appropriate.
Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Understanding the Classroom Experiences of Elementary English Learners in Los Angeles County	Greater Los Angles Education Foundation	This whitepaper investigates the classroom experiences and professional needs of elementary English learner educators across Los Angeles County through a mixed-methods study involving surveys and focus groups. The findings highlight that while many educators are multilingual and bring deep empathy to their roles, there remains a critical need for targeted professional development regarding differentiation and Designated English Language Development (ELD). Consequently, the report provides actionable recommendations for school and district leaders to enhance collaborative professional learning, clarify reclassification processes, and expand dual language immersion programs to foster equitable academic outcomes for English learners.
Organizational		Supporting Teachers to Better Serve English Learners: Addressing Systemic Challenges and Enhancing Instructional Practices in Los Angeles County	The Center to Support Excellence in Teaching (CSET) at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education	This whitepaper investigates the systemic challenges and instructional practices shaping English Learner (EL) education in Los Angeles County high schools. Using survey and focus group data from educators and students, the researchers found that while teachers report high confidence and adequate training, they frequently lack the collaborative time and targeted coaching necessary to implement engaging, integrated ELD strategies. To address these gaps, the authors recommend that school districts institutionalize sustainable support structures, including dedicated professional learning communities (PLCs), targeted professional development, and routine schedules for cross-classroom collaboration.
Organizational	Evidence-Based Literacy	National Research and Development Center to Improve Education for Secondary English Learners	WestEd / IES	Explores how to bridge the gap between EL research and practice by identification of systemic barriers and the development of educative curriculum to improve autonomy and career readiness.
Organizational	Meaningful Learning	California English Learner Roadmap	California Department of Education	Outlines four interrelated principles to guide systems toward coherent, asset-oriented policies and practices, emphasizing that the development of ELs’ capacities is a shared responsibility across all system levels.
Organizational, Policy	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Evidence of Support for Dual Language Learners in a Study of Bilingual Staffing Patterns Using the Classroom Assessment of Supports for Emergent Bilingual Acquisition (CASEBA)	Early Childhood Research Quarterly (Figueras-Daniel & Li)	This study examines how different combinations of lead and assistant teacher bilingualism affect preschool classroom quality for dual language learners by using the CASEBA observation tool to assess language-support practices and relating those scores to children’s English and Spanish receptive vocabulary outcomes.
Organizational, Policy, Human, Resource	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy, Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Professional Development to Prevent Long-Term English Learners in LA Unified	New America	This brief examines how Project PEARLL — a partnership between the Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University, SEAL, LA Unified, and the Wexford Institute — delivers sustained, research-based professional development to fourth- and fifth-grade teachers to prevent long-term English learner status.
Organizational, Policy, Human, Resource	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy, Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Promising Practices to Support English Learner Students	Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southwest English Learners Partnership	This resource guide compiles evidence-linked practices for educators to strengthen programs and services for English learner students,. Developed through a continuous-improvement pilot with three New Mexico districts, it pairs each practice with linked resources and an evidence base.
Organizational, Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Welcoming, Registering, and Supporting Newcomer Students: A Toolkit for Educators of Immigrant and Refugee Students in Secondary Schools (REL 2021–064)	Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest	This toolkit provides research-based practices, policies, and procedures to support immigrant and refugee newcomer students and their families in grades 6–12. The toolkit outlines holistic intake, transcript evaluation, registration, and orientation protocols designed to help school and district staff accurately identify student assets and educational needs. Additionally, it offers concrete strategies and tools to build positive school climates, deliver instructional and social-emotional supports, and foster strong family-school partnerships.
Organizational		Collaborative Framework to Support English Learner Student Instruction (2025),	Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southwest	This framework offers a structured model for professional collaboration among English Language Development (ELD) specialists, content-area teachers, and support staff. Grounded in research on integrated language and content development, the guide establishes foundational norms and a four-stage continuous cycle—coplanning, coteaching, coassessing, and coreflecting—designed to embed ELD strategies directly into general education instruction. It provides educators and school leaders with concrete guiding questions, role definitions, and meeting structures to build teacher capacity and promote equitable learning opportunities for English Learners.
Organizational		Engaging Stakeholders in Continuous Improvement of English Learner Programs & Services During COVID-19 & Beyond (2021)	Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)	This report provides state and local education leaders with a strategic framework for involving educators, families, and community partners in evaluating and refining English Learner (EL) programs. The report highlights concrete strategies for establishing authentic, two-way communication channels and feedback loops that leverage the cultural and linguistic assets of EL communities to inform decision-making. Furthermore, it emphasizes using continuous improvement processes to address systemic disruptions, build cross-departmental capacity, and ensure equitable access to high-quality academic instruction and language development supports during crises and beyond.
Organizational		ESSER: Moving the Needle on Equitable and Adequate Funding for English Learners (2023)	Migration Policy Institute	This report analyzes how Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds can be strategically deployed to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on K–12 English Learners. The report outlines specific funding streams and allowable uses, highlighting high-impact investment strategies such as expanding language access, accelerating academic recovery through targeted tutoring, providing social-emotional supports, and investing in educator professional development. Additionally, it offers actionable recommendations for state and district leaders to design equitable spending plans and build long-term institutional capacity beyond the expiration of emergency funds.
Policy, Organizational	Meaningful Learning	Dual Language Education Programs: Current State Policies and Practices (2015)	Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), U.S. Department of Education, with American Institutes for Research (Boyle, August, Tabaku, Cole, & Simpson-Baird)	Analyzes state-level policies and practices for dual language education programs, including program definitions and requirements, eligibility and reclassification criteria, standards and accountability, teacher qualifications and professional development, and state funding and technical assistance.
Policy		English Language Learner & Multilingual Learner Educator Tools and Best Practices	New York State Education Department (NYSED)	Collection of statewide guidance, classroom tools, standards supports, and policy resources that help educators identify linguistic demands, design scaffolds, and implement New York’s Blueprint for EL/ML Success.
Organizational, Policy, Human, Resource	Meaningful Learning	Unlocking Learning Acceleration for Multilingual Learners: How TNTP’s Six Levers of Learning Acceleration Can Drive Positive, Lasting Outcomes for Multilingual Learners Nationwide	TNTP	This technical report illustrates how system leaders can apply TNTP’s “Six Levers of Learning Acceleration” to drive sustainable academic and language development outcomes for multilingual learners (MLs). Drawing from national ESSER expenditure datasets and in-depth case studies across six school districts, the report provides practical frameworks for moving away from remediation and toward grade-level acceleration. It highlights field-tested solutions for central office reorganization, dual-language program expansion, long-term funding sustainability (transitioning from ESSER to Title III/IV), authentic parent council engagement, “Grow Your Own” bilingual educator pipelines, and integrated language/content instructional materials.
Organizational		Identifying and Supporting Newcomer Students (2025)	Council of the Great City Schools the CUNY Research Institute for the Study of Language in Urban Society	This guidance document provides K–12 districts with an actionable framework, protocols, and a piloted Educational Background Questionnaire (EBQ) to identify, place, and serve newcomer students and Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE). It thoroughly details the legal context, district considerations, data privacy regulations, and asset-based strategies necessary to establish responsive academic and wraparound supports. Furthermore, it includes real-world urban district vignettes, administration training parameters, and reproducible intake instruments to aid implementation.
Organizational		School Literacy Spotlight Story: Siler City and Virginia Cross Elementaries	Southeast Region 5 Comprehensive Center (SER5CC) at UNC Greensboro	Published by the Southeast Region 5 Comprehensive Center (SER5CC) at UNC Greensboro, this practitioner spotlight report examines how two elementary schools in Chatham County, North Carolina, implemented systemic, school-wide strategies to improve literacy outcomes for English/Multilingual Learners. The report details actionable operational practices, including co-planning models between classroom teachers and ESL specialists, common intervention schedules, data-driven decision-making protocols using mCLASS and Star assessments, and instructional coaching structures. It serves as a practical, asset-based guide for LEA and SEA leaders seeking to align organizational, human, and policy capacity to support multilingual learners within MTSS and dual-language frameworks.
Policy	Meaningful Learning	Newcomers: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research (2025)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	The selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 32 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding the education of foreign-born students and families who have recently arrived in the United States, often referred to as Newcomers. This is an umbrella term that includes immigrant and refugee students during their first two or three years in the U.S. Typically, Newcomer students benefit from safe and welcoming school environments in addition to language and academic support.
Policy		College, Career, and Course Access: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2025)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	This selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 13 annotations regarding educational practices that impact the opportunities available to ELs in secondary schools and beyond. Systemic, institutional practices in schools have contributed to the lack of opportunities for many English Learners (ELs) in secondary schools to enroll in college preparatory or advanced courses and advanced career technical courses. English Learners are often tracked from elementary to middle to high school, based on their language needs but often resulting in lack of access to college and career preparation courses. These course trajectories can significantly limit students’ postsecondary options.
Policy		Policy: District, State, and National: A Selected Annotated Policy: District, State, and National: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2026)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	This selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 26 annotations regarding policies across various levels impacting the education of English Learners and Multilingual Learners. Guided by federal regulations, court cases, and state and local mandates, the implementation of education and language policies is complex and inter-related. Coordination between different levels of and stakeholders within the education system has the potential to promote quality language teaching and learning, access to rigorous and intellectually rich curriculum, and equitable assessment practices for English Learners and Multilingual Learners.
Policy		Community, Culture, Voice: Supporting Social Emotional Learning for Multilingual Learners	The Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation	This paper examines the research, systems, and practices necessary to support education leaders in designing and implementing effective social and emotional learning (SEL) for multilingual learners in Los Angeles County. It highlights key findings from expert interviews and student focus groups, emphasizing the critical need for asset-based pedagogy, culturally relevant instructional materials, and a diverse educator workforce. To address these needs, the report outlines actionable recommendations for local education agencies and county offices, such as investing in professional development, fostering community partnerships, and expanding educator preparation pathways.
Policy		Pathway to Proficiency: Implementing the English Learner Roadmap in Los Angles County	The Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation	This report examines the local implementation of California’s English Learner Roadmap (ELRM) Policy. Based on interviews with school and district leaders across nine Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), the document highlights crosscutting themes, implementation “bright spots,” and persistent systemic challenges related to educating multilingual learners. To fully realize the policy’s aspirational vision, the report concludes with targeted, actionable recommendations for state leaders, county offices of education, professional development providers, and district leadership.
Policy		Unlocking Learning II: Math as a lever for English Learner Equity	The Education Trust-West	This report by The Education Trust-West examines how California schools and districts can leverage mathematics instruction to advance equity and close achievement gaps for English learners. It highlights four research-supported promising practices, such as integrating English language development directly with math content instruction and ensuring equitable access to rigorous, de-tracked coursework. Furthermore, the document offers targeted recommendations for state-level policymakers to support these instructional shifts and improve long-term academic outcomes for English learners.
Policy		Long-Term English Learners: Current Research, Policy, and Practice (2020)	TESOL Journal (Clark-Gareca, Short, Lukes, & Sharp-Ross)	Explores current understandings of the long-term English learner (LTEL) designation, diagnostic and assessment considerations, the complexities of special education referral, and possible school-based interventions for this subgroup.
Policy		Progress Monitoring of Language Acquisition and Academic Content for English Learners (2022)	Learning Disabilities Research & Practice (Rivera & McKeithan)	Offers considerations and best practices for K-12 educators on progress monitoring the academic and language proficiency of English learners, including resource tables for instructional activities and supporting materials.
Policy		Designing System Coherence For Content-Based English Language Development (2026)	Center on English Language Proficiency	This brief from the Center on English Language Proficiency examines how state, district, and school systems can align their structures to support integrated content-based English Language Development (ELD). It outlines systemic barriers created by fragmented initiatives and highlights state and district “bright spots” that successfully integrate academic instruction with language development. Finally, the document establishes seven foundational practices—ranging from leadership alignment to continuous improvement—that education leaders can use to build system coherence for English Learners.
Policy, Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning, Expanding Career Pathways	Practices to Increase Access to Advanced Coursework and Specialized Programs for Students Who Are English Learners	U.S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA/NCELA)	Outlines six system-level practices to eliminate barriers and increase English Learner (EL) enrollment in advanced coursework and specialized programs—including Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), honors, and dual enrollment/career pathways.
Policy, Resource, Human	Meaningful Learning	Native Language Assessments for K-12 English Learners: A 2025 State-Level Snapshot	Migration Policy Institute (MPI) National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy	Provides a comprehensive 2025 snapshot of state policies and native language assessment options for K–12 English Learners (ELs) under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Policy, Organizational		Improving the Reclassification Process for Long-Term English Learners in California: Policy Implications from Research with Nine School Districts Engaged in Reform	John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities at Stanford University	The brief presents actionable findings from an eight-year longitudinal research partnership with nine California school districts (the Stanford-Sequoia K–12 Research Collaborative). It specifically addresses systemic barriers to reclassification for Long-Term English Learners (LTELs) and evaluates the impact of district-level policy reforms regarding the “basic skills” criterion under California Education Code Section 313. While state-specific, the underlying mechanisms provide valuable policy lessons for LEAs in other states
Policy, Human		Predictive Power of Grades and Other Indicators for English Learners	University of Chicago Consortium on School Research	This report analyzes which academic and behavioral indicators best predict high school graduation, college enrollment, and degree completion for different subgroups of English Learners by tracking nearly 185,000 Chicago Public Schools students from ninth grade through college outcomes, before concluding that GPA, attendance, and course failure rates are more predictive than test scores or English proficiency and offering practice takeaways for how schools can act on this by subgroup.
Policy		Bilingual Education and America’s Future: Evidence and Pathways	The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles	This report makes the case for establishing bilingual education as the standard service for English learner–classified students rather than the exception by synthesizing evidence on its academic, linguistic, social-emotional, and economic benefits, before laying out incremental federal, state, and local policy steps and key implementation considerations to build toward that goal.
Policy, Resource		Mapping Choice: A Critical GIS Analysis of English Learner Enrollment	Education Policy Analysis Archives (Sartori)	This study uses geospatial (GIS) analysis to examine whether school choice systems in one Arizona metropolitan area provide English learners with meaningfully expanded schooling opportunities by mapping charter school enrollment patterns against EL population distribution, before finding that charter schools consistently under-enroll EL students regardless of local demographics and concluding that unregulated school choice may not reliably improve options for EL-classified students.
Policy, Human, Resource	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Charter Schools and English Learners in the Lone Star State	Thomas B. Fordham Institute	This report analyzes how English Learners in Texas charter schools compare to their traditional public school peers in demographics, academic achievement, and longer-term outcomes by examining two decades of student-level data across three research questions, before concluding that charter-enrolled English Learners show only modest achievement differences but significantly higher rates of high school graduation, four-year college enrollment, and post-college earnings.
Policy, Human, Resource	Meaningful Learning Opportunities, Expanding Career Pathways	On the Right Path: Newcomer Student Enrollment and Course Placement Promising Practices	Next100 & Education Northwest	This report analyzes how state policy guidance (or the lack thereof) impacts standard newcomer intake, credit evaluation, and placement frameworks and focuses on building technical expertise for enrollment officers, counselors, and school administrators tasked with evaluating international transcripts and assessing pre-migration educational experiences.
Policy, Organizational, Human	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	¿Y Ahora Qué? Interest Convergence and Hope Through Provision, Promotion, and Partnerships in Two-Way Dual Language Programs	Journal of Multilingual Education Research (Ingram & Pimentel)	This article applies the concept of interest convergence to examine how Two-Way Dual Language programs, despite their integration goals, can end up disproportionately benefiting White, English-dominant families and proposes a preliminary framework centered on equitable provision, promotion, and partnership practices for these programs.
Policy		Biliteracy Seals in a Large Urban District in New Mexico: Who Earns Them and How Do They Impact College Outcomes?	Institute of Education Sciences (Mihaly, Arellano, & Prier)	This study examines which students earn the New Mexico biliteracy seals (state, district, and global seals) and how earning one affects college enrollment.
Policy		English Proficiency and the Pandemic: How Texas English Learner Students Fared During the COVID-19 Pandemic	Institute of Education Sciences (Hsin, Rapaport, Osman, Kilborn, Pierson, & Garrett)	This study examines how English proficiency among Texas English learner students in grades 3-12 changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and points state and district leaders toward targeting recovery resources at elementary and middle grades.
Policy		Get Smart Fast: Leveraging the Assets of Multilingual Learners	Comprehensive Center Network (CC Network) National Center	This brief makes the case for an asset-based, systems-level approach to supporting multilingual learners by summarizing evidence on the cognitive, educational, economic, and community benefits of multilingualism, before outlining conditions for success across SEAs, LEAs, and educators, highlighting state model policies from Hawaii, Rhode Island, New Mexico, and Nebraska, and listing federal funding streams that can support this work.
Policy, Human	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Demystifying Statewide Standardized Assessments: Making Assessments Accessible for Students With Disabilities and English Learners	Bellwether	This brief, the fifth in a six-part series demystifying how statewide standardized assessments are built and used, examines how test accommodations and universal design tools allow students with disabilities and English learners to demonstrate what they know without compromising test validity.
Policy	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	ESSA Requirements Related to English Learners	Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI)	his presentation walks through the Every Student Succeeds Act’s requirements for English learners by covering how ELs are defined and identified, Title I English language proficiency standards and assessment requirements, EL participation in state academic assessments, and native language and Native American language assessment provisions, illustrating several requirements with state and consortium examples.
Policy, Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Assessing English Learners Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as Amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act	Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI)	This resource walks state and district staff through ESSA’s testing requirements for English learners by comparing five assessment types across alignment, administration format, student population, and frequency requirements, and includes a flowchart to help determine which assessments apply to a given EL student.
Policy, Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Examples of State Implementation of English Language Development Standards	Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI)	This brief catalogs how eight states have implemented English language development standards by describing each state’s adopted standards, consortium membership, and publicly available implementation resources and professional development supports.
Policy		English Learners in Public Schools	National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education	Analyzes national and state-level trends in the English learner population by tracking enrollment counts and percentages from fall 2011 through fall 2021 alongside the share of ELs receiving language instruction educational program services,
Policy, Resource		English Learners and Students With Disabilities in Rural Public Schools	National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education	Supports SEA and LEA leaders in tailoring policy interventions and allocating services specifically for rural educational context by analyzing how English learner enrollment and disability-service enrollment vary by school district locale.
Policy, Organizational	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	An English-Only Mandate for Head Start Will Harm Children	National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)	This brief argues against the Trump administration’s August 2026 proposed rule requiring English-only instruction in Head Start by reviewing evidence that home-language support improves dual language learners’ long-term academic outcomes and does not slow English acquisition, before cataloging additional proposed rule changes that the authors argue would further undermine Head Start’s effectiveness for the roughly one-third of enrolled children who are dual language learners.
Policy, Organizational, Resource	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Supporting Dual Language Learners in State-Funded Preschool	National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)	This brief analyzes how state-funded preschool programs support dual language learners and their families and offers states recommendations to strengthen supports for dual language learners.
Policy, Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	A Blueprint for Developing Dual Language Learner Policies in Early Childhood Education Programs	National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)	This report presents a replicable, sequential model for local early childhood leaders to co-develop research-based policies supporting dual language learners’ language and literacy development by documenting the steps, activities, and resources used in a research-practice partnership with a New Jersey school district (Passaic Public Schools), offering practical tips throughout to help other districts translate the blueprint into their own systemic dual language learner practices.
Policy, Organizational		Envisioning, Planning, and Implementing Better Systems for Dual Language Learners: Reflections on a Peer Learning Community of Nine States	National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), in partnership with the Migration Policy Institute (MPI)	This brief reflects on a nine-month peer learning community that NIEER and MPI convened for state teams from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, and Texas to improve policies and systems for young dual language learners by describing the community’s structure, each state team’s process and product goals, and participants’ reflections, before offering key takeaways and resources for others doing similar DLL policy work.
Policy	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	English Learners in Chicago Public Schools: A New Perspective	University of Chicago Consortium on School Research	This report examines the academic performance and progress of Chicago Public Schools students classified as English Learners by tracking their outcomes on reading, math and English proficiency assessments from kindergarten through eighth grade and comparing those who did and did not reach English proficiency, before concluding that students who attained proficiency by eighth grade matched or outperformed never-EL peers while those who did not require closer examination of the supports they need.
Policy, Human	Meaningful Learning Opportunities, Expanding Career Pathways	English Learners in Chicago Public Schools: A Spotlight on High School Students	University of Chicago Consortium on School Research	This report examines high school graduation, college enrollment and college persistence outcomes for former and late-arriving English Learners in Chicago Public Schools by disaggregating academic performance data typically reported only for active English Learners, before concluding that former English Learners succeed at rates comparable to or stronger than never-English Learners while late-arriving students face distinct testing barriers despite strong grades and graduation rates.
Policy, Organizational	Evidence-Based Literacy	National Scan of Screening Policies and Practices for Identifying English Learners in Pre-K	New America	Presents findings from a fifty-state scan, verified with state officials, of policies and guidance for screening and identifying English Learners in state-funded pre-K programs, examining which states require or recommend screening, which screening tools they approve, and how home-language surveys factor into identification.
Policy, Resource, Human, Organizational		How a Federal Grant Program Is Training and Supporting Educators of English Learners	Institute of Education Sciences	This evaluation report examines how the National Professional Development (NPD) program’s 2016 and 2017 grantees implemented federally funded professional-development projects for educators of English learners, drawing primarily on a 2021 survey of all 92 grantees to assess whom they served, what topics and approaches they used, and how they applied research evidence and data collection.
Policy, Organizational, Resource	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Refining State Accountability Systems for English Learner Success	Migration Policy Institute (MPI) National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy	This report presents findings from two linked studies examining how state accountability systems under ESSA capture English Learner outcomes, quantitatively analyzing Hawaii and Ohio assessment data to test statistical models that account for English language proficiency, and qualitatively gathering perspectives from state and local educators, community advocates, and EL families across 18 states on useful opportunity-to-learn indicators.
Policy		English Learner Accountability Hub: A State-by-State Look at English Learner Data in the U.S.	New America	This interactive hub compiles state-by-state profiles covering key English Learner accountability policies and demographics — including identification, assessment, and reclassification procedures, proficiency timelines, and accountability inclusion — for all 50 states plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, drawing on publicly available state education agency data supplemented by direct outreach to state staff.
Policy, Organizational, Resource	Evidence-Based Literacy	A New Look at Dual Language Learner Data Gaps	New America	This brief revisits nine 2018 recommendations for improving data on dual language learners (DLLs) in early care and education and identifies three persistent barriers to closing DLL data gaps: inconsistent terminology, insufficient resources to implement policies across the mixed-delivery ECE system, and limited dedicated funding for DLLs.
Policy		ESSA Pulse Check: Are states meeting their English learner goals?	New America	This brief examines whether the 16 states with the earliest ESSA long-term target years (2020–2023) are meeting the English language proficiency (ELP) goals they set for reclassifying English learners, comparing each state’s reported baseline, target, and actual 2022 performance.
Policy, Organizational, Human, Resource		Senate Bill 560 Emergent Bilingual Strategic Plan	Texas Education Agency, in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission	This strategic plan responds to Texas Senate Bill 560’s mandate by outlining a blueprint to increase bilingual-certified teachers, expand dual language immersion programs, educate families and educators on bilingualism, standardize identification and progress monitoring, and grow the number of bilingual and multilingual graduates.
Policy, Resource	Expanding Career Pathways, Meaningful Learning Experiences	Career and Technical Education as a Strategy to Improve Long-term Outcomes for English Language Learners	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper uses statewide longitudinal data on Massachusetts students from the 2007–2019 graduating cohorts to examine how English learner status relates to CTE concentration, credit accumulation and career cluster choice, and how CTE concentration relates to later college enrollment and earnings.
Policy, Human, Resource	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy, Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Effects of Dual-Language Immersion on Attendance and Reclassification in a Large Urban District	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper uses restricted student-level data from Los Angeles Unified (2015–2022) to examine how dual-language immersion affects attendance and English Learner reclassification, applying doubly-robust estimation to compare DLI and English-only students within the same schools.
Policy, Human, Resource		Bulwark or Barrier? The Effect of Academic Criteria-Based Reclassification on the High School Outcomes of Multilingual Learners in Texas	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper evaluates Texas’s use of an eighth-grade state reading exam as an academic criterion for exiting English learner status, using statewide administrative data and a regression discontinuity design around the passing score.
Policy, Resource		The Effects of Third-Grade Retention on Multilingual Students: A Gateway or a Gatekeeper?	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper applies a regression discontinuity design to Texas’s test-based third-grade retention policy to estimate how repeating third grade with extra reading support affects multilingual students classified as English learners.
Policy, Human, Resource		Identifying Indicators to Support Educational Attainment for Different Groups of English Learners in High School	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper tests which high school indicators best predict graduation, college enrollment and college completion for different subgroups of English learners, following Chicago Public Schools cohorts from eighth grade through college using logistic regression and machine learning models. It finds that current reporting hides high achievement among some EL subgroups, and it points to the strategies most likely to raise attainment for each group.
Policy, Resource	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Racial, Linguistic, and Economic Diversity across Schools with Two-Way Dual Language Immersion Programs: Evidence from Los Angeles Unified School District	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper describes enrollment and segregation patterns across Los Angeles Unified elementary schools with two-way dual language immersion programs, using school-level enrollment data and district records of program growth from 2000 to 2021 to compare these schools with schools that have no program.
Policy, Resource		Educational Spillover Effects of New English Learners in a New Destination State	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper examines how an influx of newly arrived English learners affects the achievement of other students in their schools in Delaware, a “new destination” state for immigrants. It uses statewide student data from 2015–16 through 2018–19 and compares grades within the same school that received different shares of new English learners. It finds significant positive short-term spillovers on classmates’ test scores, concentrated mainly among current and former English learners.
Policy, Human, Resource		Dual Identification? The Effects of EL Status on SPED Placement in an Equity-Focused District	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper estimates whether being classified as an English learner affects later placement in special education. It uses a regression discontinuity design at the English proficiency cutoff, with seven cohorts of kindergarten students in a large urban California district followed for seven years.
Policy, Human		Does Reclassification Change How English Learners Feel about School and Themselves? Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper estimates the causal effect of exiting English learner status on social-emotional learning skills among 4th to 8th graders in three California school districts. It uses a regression discontinuity design at the reclassification cut scores, with outcomes measured by student surveys of self-efficacy, growth mindset, self-management and social awareness.
Policy, Organizational, Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy, Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Indigenous Students and English Learner Identification: A Fifty-State Policy Review	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper reviews state policies in all 50 states on how American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students are identified as English learners, since federal law under ESSA’s Title III defines EL eligibility differently for Indigenous students than for others. It sorts states into four categories, from no differentiation in how Indigenous students are identified to clear differentiation. It closes by reflecting on what this wide variation means for Indigenous students’ educational resources and experiences.
Policy, Human, Organizational		Understanding Newcomer English Learner Students’ English Language Development: Comparisons and Predictors	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper uses growth models and statewide data from two states to compare newcomer English learners with other English learners on their English proficiency at entry and their growth over time. Newcomers are defined as foreign-born students in their first three years in U.S. schools, and the paper also examines which characteristics predict differences in growth among them.
Policy, Human, Organizational	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy, Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Effective Literacy Education for English Learner/Emergent Bilingual Students in California	California Committee for Effective Literacy	This brief lays out the components of effective literacy instruction for English learner/emergent bilingual students drawn from about four decades of research, and maps each one against four California policy documents: the ELD Standards, the ELA/ELD Framework, the English Learner Roadmap and the EdGE Initiative. It argues that new state literacy initiatives should align with and build on these existing English learner policies.
Policy, Human, Organizational		Advancing Coherence: Aligning Educator Preparation with California’s English Learner Roadmap Policy	Center for Equity for English Learners, Loyola Marymount University	This policy brief examines how well California’s state performance expectations for teacher, school counselor and administrator preparation programs align with the four principles of the California English Learner Roadmap, using a relational analysis validated by an expert panel. It finds far more gaps than areas of alignment across all three types of programs. It closes with recommendations for state agencies, professional organizations and colleges and universities, including use of the English Learner Roadmap Toolkit for Institutions of Higher Education.
Policy		State English Learner Education Policy: A Conceptual Framework to Guide Comprehensive Policy Action	University of Oregon	Through critical policy analysis and qualitative case study methodology, the article explores how federal, state, and local policies influence program access, resource allocation, and instructional design for English Learners (ELs) versus English-dominant students. The authors highlight how market-driven pressures and gentrification dynamics can lead to the marginalization of native Spanish-speaking ELs within two-way immersion settings, and they offer policy recommendations to center linguistic equity, community representation, and asset-based dual language models.
Policy		Model Policy: English Learners	School Board Partners and New America’s Education Policy Program,	The model policy provides local school boards and district leaders with a comprehensive policy template designed to elevate educational standards and ensure civil rights compliance for English Learners (ELs). The document establishes clear definitions for diverse student subgroups (including Long-Term English Learners, students with interrupted formal education, dually identified students, and former ELs) and sets robust operational mandates regarding nondiscriminatory enrollment, rigorous language instructional program reviews, and equitable access to specialized academic and extracurricular programs. Additionally, it mandates bi-annual school board reporting on student performance, progress toward English proficiency, educator professional qualifications, differentiated funding allocations, and structured family advisory engagement.
Policy		Preserving the original mission of the United States’ first Dual Language Immersion Program	Education First	This policy memo traces the evolution of Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in the United States, anchored by the historical precedent of the first publicly funded 50/50 DLI program at Coral Way Elementary in 1963. The memo examines how modern DLI programs face structural challenges similar to those at Coral Way’s inception—specifically around balanced enrollment, teacher recruitment, and long-term funding stability.
Policy		State Policy Recommendations for English Learners in Elementary Math	Education First	This policy memo addresses a critical gap in state education policy: the frequent separation of English Learner (EL) support systems from mainstream elementary mathematics initiatives. Grounded in recent research and NASEM consensus findings, the brief advocates for embedding EL-specific supports directly into core state education policy rather than treating them as parallel or supplemental add-ons.
Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Implementing Evidence-based Instructional Practices for English Learners (2025)	National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA), U.S. Department of Education	Presents five evidence-based instructional practices that integrate content learning with English language development. Includes research summaries, instructional routines, classroom scenarios, and implementation tools grounded in IES guidance.
Human	Meaningful Learning Opportunities (Mathematics)	Integrating Language While Teaching Mathematics (2020)	NCELA, U.S. Department of Education	Evidence-based mathematics teaching brief showing how educators can intentionally integrate language development into mathematics instruction using recommendations from the IES Practice Guide.
Human		Improving Education for Multilingual and English Learner Students: Research to Practice (2020)	California Department of Education	Research-to-practice volume highlighting integrated and designated ELD across elementary and secondary classrooms, with extensive instructional examples that connect language and content learning.
Human		Strategies for English Learners: A Guide for Novice Teachers (2025)	Louisiana Department of Education	Practical guide for early childhood and novice educators featuring nine instructional strategy areas including home language supports, vocabulary development, scaffolding, engagement, and differentiated instruction.
Human		English Language Learner & Multilingual Learner Educator Tools and Best Practices	New York State Education Department (NYSED)	Collection of statewide guidance, classroom tools, standards supports, and policy resources that help educators identify linguistic demands, design scaffolds, and implement New York’s Blueprint for EL/ML Success.
Human		Content-Based Instruction for MLEs: Practical Tips by Grade and Subject (2025)	TESOL International Association	Practical article describing content-based instruction across grade spans with implementation strategies and reflection questions for teacher planning and continuous improvement.
Human	Meaningul Learning Opportunities	Educating Multilingual Learners: What Every Classroom Teacher Needs to Know (2026)	Strebel et al.	Provides discipline-specific instructional examples that integrate language development into mathematics, science, technology, and social studies instruction for multilingual learners.
Human		Fundamentals of Integrated Language and Content Learning (2023)	Stanford University, Center to Support Excellence in Teaching (CSET/Understanding Language)	Introduces four foundational instructional practices for integrated language and content instruction, emphasizing multilingual learners’ assets while providing concrete pedagogical examples.
Human		Integrated ELD Guide for District Leaders (2024)	Oregon State University, Oregon Collaboration & Integration Collaborative	Leadership guide supporting district-level implementation of integrated ELD through planning tools, program models, self-assessments, implementation checklists, and systems guidance.
Human		Integrated ELD Annotated Bibliography (2022)	Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL)	Annotated bibliography of more than 350 research and practitioner resources spanning English language arts, mathematics, science, STEM, history, and the arts, supporting evidence-informed decision making.
Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Supporting Classroom Teachers with Implementing the IES Practice Guide (2026)	Institute of Education Sciences (IES)	Infographic series translating IES recommendations into actionable classroom practice, emphasizing intensive academic vocabulary instruction, coaching, observation, and educator feedback.
Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Reading Across the Content Areas: An Overview (2019)	Pacific Regional Educational Laboratory (PREL), Institute of Education Sciences	Concise infographic highlighting evidence-based literacy strategies that support reading instruction across content areas for English learners and students with disabilities.
Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth (2006)	Center for Applied Linguistics (National Literacy Panel)	Landmark synthesis of research on literacy development for multilingual learners. Reviews evidence on second-language literacy acquisition, cross-linguistic transfer, sociocultural influences, instruction, professional development, and assessment. Although published outside the preferred 10-year window, it remains one of the most influential foundational references in the field and continues to underpin contemporary literacy research and federal guidance.
Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014)	Institute of Education Sciences (IES), U.S. Department of Education	Foundational IES Practice Guide presenting four evidence-based recommendations for teaching academic content and literacy to English learners. Each recommendation includes strength-of-evidence ratings, instructional examples, and classroom applications. This guide serves as the research foundation for numerous subsequent NCELA and federal English learner publications.
Human		Academic Conversations: Classroom Talk that Fosters Critical Thinking and Content Understandings (2011)	Jeff Zwiers & Marie Crawford (Stenhouse Publishers)	Influential professional book that provides instructional frameworks for developing students’ academic conversations across language arts, history, science, and other content areas. Introduces five core conversation skills alongside classroom routines, planning tools, and examples that strengthen disciplinary discourse and critical thinking.
Human	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Common Core Standards in Diverse Classrooms: Essential Practices for Developing Academic Language and Disciplinary Literacy (2014)	Jeff Zwiers, Susan O’Hara & Robert Pritchard (Stenhouse Publishers)	Practical guide supporting educators in integrating academic language development into Common Core instruction across multiple disciplines. Demonstrates how to build disciplinary literacy through rigorous, standards-aligned instructional planning and classroom examples.
Human		Language Objectives: The Key to Effective Content Area Instruction for English Learners (2012)	Jennifer Himmel; ¡Colorín Colorado! (WETA)	Foundational practitioner article explaining how language objectives complement content objectives to improve instruction for English learners. Provides practical classroom examples across grade levels and subject areas while illustrating how explicit language objectives strengthen both language development and content learning.
Human	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Long-term English Learners: A selected annotated bibliography for English Learner research, policy, and practice (2025)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	The selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 25 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding the education of students considered Long-term English Learners (LTELs), a subgroup of English Learners (ELs) who have not attained English language proficiency after six or more years. These annotations build on the annotations regarding LTELs in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (Center for Equity for English Learners, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. The contributors provide a comprehensive selection of works focused on research, practice, and theory.
Human		Bilingual Teacher Preparation: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2025)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	The annotated bibliography is comprised of 21 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding the preparation of preservice teachers preparing to be bilingual teachers. These annotations build on the annotations regarding bilingual teacher preparation in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (CEEL, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs.
Human	Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness	Teaching/Professional Development: A Selected Annotated Teaching/Professional Development: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2026)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	The annotated bibilography is comprised of 32 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding teaching ELs and professional development for teachers of ELs. These annotations build on the annotations regarding teaching and professional development in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (CEEL, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs.
Human		Bilingual Teacher Preparation: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2025)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	The selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 21 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding the preparation of preservice teachers preparing to be bilingual teachers. These annotations build on the annotations regarding bilingual teacher preparation in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (CEEL, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs.
Human	Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness	Teaching/Professional Development: A Selected Annotated Teaching/Professional Development: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2026)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	The selected annotated bibilography is comprised of 32 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding teaching ELs and professional development for teachers of ELs. These annotations build on the annotations regarding teaching and professional development in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (CEEL, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs.
Human		Bilingualism in the Early Years: What the Science Says (2013)	LEARNing Landscapes (Concordia University & Northwestern University)	Answers parents’ most frequently asked questions about early bilingual development, using research evidence to separate common myths from what the science shows about how young children acquire and benefit from two languages.
Human		Childhood Bilingualism: Research on Infancy through School Age (2006)	Multilingual Matters (Eds. Peggy McCardle & Erika Hoff)	Edited volume compiling empirical studies from multiple disciplines on how children process, acquire, and develop literacy in two languages from infancy through the early school years, offering a foundational research base on bilingual development.
Human, Resource	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Effective Instruction: The Intersection of Structured Literacy and Second-Language Acquisition for Multilingual Learners (2024)	The Reading League Journal (Goodall, Gomez, & Webster)	Examines how structured literacy practices intersect with second-language acquisition research to inform effective reading instruction for multilingual learners, highlighting classroom strategies that support both language and literacy development.
Human	Meaningful Learning, Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Toward a Science of Strengths-Based Approaches to Reading for English Learners in K-12 Schools (2026)	Reading Research Quarterly (International Literacy Association)	Proposes a strengths-based framework identifying three domains through which English learners’ multilingual experiences can support deep reading comprehension, calling for broadened research and updated instructional models.
Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	What Does Research Say About the Science of Reading for K-5 Multilingual Learners? A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews (2024)	Educational Psychology Review (Springer)	Synthesizes findings from 30 systematic reviews on reading and reading instruction for K-5 multilingual learners, identifying effective components across oral language, phonological awareness, decoding/fluency, and comprehension, with attention to first-language skills.
Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Brick by Brick: Landmark Studies on Reading Development, Assessment, and Instruction for Students Who Are English Learners (2021)	The Reading League Journal (Vargas, Hall, & Solari)	Reviews landmark studies on reading development, assessment, and instruction for English learners, distilling decades of research into practical implications for supporting this population’s literacy growth.
Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Connecting Early Language and Literacy to Later Reading (Dis)abilities: Evidence, Theory, and Practice (2001)	Guilford Press (in S. B. Neuman & D. K. Dickinson, Eds., Handbook of Early Literacy Research)	Foundational book chapter introducing what became known as Scarborough’s Reading Rope, a model illustrating how multiple language and literacy strands weave together over development to build skilled reading.
Human, Resource	Meaningful Learning	Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures (2017)	National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine	Consensus study report examining research from birth to age 21 on dual language learners and English learners, offering recommendations for education and health policy, practice, and future research to improve outcomes for this population.
Human		Language Diversity and Mathematics Education: New Developments (2019)	Research in Mathematics Education (Barwell, Wessel, & Parra, Eds.)	Introduces a special issue examining how linguistic diversity in the classroom shapes mathematics teaching and learning, surveying new theoretical and classroom-practice developments in the field.
Human		Classroom Experiences of Multilingual Learners and English-Only Students in Preschool through Third Grade (2026)	Reading and Writing (Springer) (Sanabria, Hwang, Vandell, & Connor)	Compares literacy skills and minute-by-minute classroom learning opportunities for multilingual learners and English-only students from preschool through third grade, using observational data from over 1,000 students across six U.S. sites.
Human		Opportunities and Outcomes: The Role of Peers in Developing the Oral Academic English Proficiency of Adolescent English Learners (2015)	The Modern Language Journal (Carhill-Poza)	Uses social network analysis to show how peer relationships, including with bilingual peers, contribute to the oral academic English development of adolescent English learners beyond individual factors like age and time in the U.S.
Human	Meaningful Learning	How Assessment Supports English Learners (2019)	Learning Forward (Foster)	Practitioner-oriented piece describing how formative and ongoing assessment practices can be used to better identify and support the language and content-learning needs of English learners in the classroom.
Human		Rethinking Instructional Strategies with English Learners in the Content Areas (2021)	TESOL Journal (Grapin, Llosa, Haas, & Lee)	Argues that common instructional strategies for English learners need to be reconsidered in light of newer, more rigorous content standards, and highlights three widely used strategies — preteaching vocabulary, sentence frames, and visual aids — through a contemporary theoretical lens.
Human	Meaningful Learning	The Effects of Dual Language Education on Young Bilingual Children’s Learning: A Systematic Review of Research (2025)	Education Sciences (MDPI) (Castro, Franco-Jenkins, & Chaparro-Moreno)	Systematic review of research on dual language education in the early years (pre-K and kindergarten), proposing a conceptual framework for understanding how dual language programs support young bilingual children’s development and learning.
Organizational, Policy, Human	Meaningful Learning	English Learner Tool Kit for State and Local Education Agencies (SEAs and LEAs) (2nd Rev. ed., 2017)	U.S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA/NCELA)	Toolkit organized into 10 chapters that mirror the 2015 OCR/DOJ Dear Colleague Letter, helping state and local education agencies meet their legal obligations to English learners; each chapter offers legal explanations, self-monitoring checklists, sample tools, and curated resources for identifying, serving, staffing, and evaluating EL programs.
Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning	Newcomer Toolkit (NCELA, rev. 2023)	U.S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA/NCELA)	Five-chapter toolkit for educators working with immigrant students, including asylees and refugees, covering how to welcome newcomers into a safe and inclusive school environment, support their social, emotional, and mental health needs, provide high-quality instruction, and build partnerships with families.
Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning	English Learner Family Toolkit (NCELA, rev. 2023)	U.S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA/NCELA)	Six-chapter toolkit, available in English, Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish, designed to help families of English learners understand their rights and navigate school enrollment, attendance, additional programs and services, extracurricular activities, health and safety, and ways to support their child’s success.
Human	Meaningful Learning	Advancing Comprehensive English Language Development: Content-Based Instruction Through Evidence-Based Practices (2026)	Content-Based ELD Instruction Through Evidence-Based Practices	This implementation brief from the Center on English Language Proficiency outlines key evidence-based instructional practices for content-based English Language Development (ELD). Grounded in federal research and practice guides, it details two foundational teacher practices alongside four core instructional domains: Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum, Interactions, Comprehensibility, and Connections. Finally, the document highlights essential system-level supports, such as collaborative planning structures and leadership engagement, required to successfully enact these classroom practices.
Human, Policy, Organizational		Actionable Approaches for Centering Newcomers	WIDA (University of Wisconsin–Madison)	Synthesizes contemporary research to outline five actionable approaches for supporting PreK–12 multilingual newcomers and provides evidence-based guidance on engaging newcomers in grade-level content learning, leveraging native language and metalinguistic skills (e.g., translanguaging), building situational motivation through culturally sustaining topics, delivering targeted foundational literacy interventions respectfully to adolescents, and fostering social-emotional belongingness through trauma-informed school-community networks.
Human	Meaningful Learning	Keeping Records While Solving Problems: A Study of Multilingual Learner and First-Language English Speaking Students	Electronic Journal for Research in Science & Mathematics Education (Heck, Fernandes, Nikula, & Gordon)	This peer-reviewed empirical study investigates how record keeping (RK)—capturing notes, calculations, diagrams, and markings on paper—supports Grades 7–9 Multilingual Learners (MLs) and non-ML students during mathematical problem solving. The authors provide concrete task-design and instructional recommendations to help educators reduce extraneous cognitive load and promote equitable math access for MLs.
Human, Policy	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	What Does Research Say About the Science of Reading for K-5 Multilingual Learners? A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews	Educational Psychology Review (Kittle, Amendum, & Budde)	This landmark systematic review of 30 systematic reviews (2000–2023) synthesizes two decades of empirical evidence regarding the Science of Reading (SOR) and Science of Reading Instruction for K–5 Multilingual Learners (MLs). Addressing the narrow public discourse surrounding SOR, the authors identify four core evidence-based component clusters essential for ML English reading comprehension: Oral Language (including L1/L2 vocabulary and oral proficiency), Phonological Awareness, Decoding & Oral Reading Fluency, and Reading Comprehension Strategies.
Human		District Considerations for Universal Dyslexia Screening: Ensuring Appropriate Implementation and Instruction for English Learners (2022)	Council of the Great City Schools	This policy brief addresses the potential misdiagnosis and mismeasurement of reading difficulties when universal dyslexia screeners are administered to English Learners (ELs). It highlights the distinct foundational literacy trajectories of ELs compared to native English speakers and outlines core district considerations, such as vetting screeners, utilizing multiple assessment measures, and embedding screening within culturally and linguistically responsive Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Furthermore, the resource offers actionable questions and strategies to guide school districts in meaningfully engaging EL families and accurately interpreting screener results to drive appropriate instruction.
Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Including English Learners With Disabilities in Assessments	National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), University of Minnesota	This article in the Journal of Special Education Leadership argues that individualized, well-matched accessibility features and accommodations are essential to accurate results and includes guidance for IEP teams and special education administrators on building the knowledge, training, and cross-role collaboration needed to make sound assessment decisions for these students
Human, Policy	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	State of the States: Building a Strong Teacher Workforce for Students with Disabilities and English Learners	National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)	This report analyzes how well state teacher-preparation and workforce policies are equipping educators to serve students with disabilities and English learners by evaluating all 50 states across six policy levers before making six specific policy recommendations for states.
Human, Policy	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Where Are the English Learners and Students With Disabilities in Gifted Education?	AERA Open (Peters & Johnson)	This study analyzes whether ELs and students with disabilities are underrepresented in gifted and talented (GT) programs and what school, district, and state policy characteristics predict greater GT availability and representation for these groups
Human, Policy		Examining English Learner Testing, Proficiency, and Growth: Continued Trends since the COVID-19 Pandemic	WIDA (University of Wisconsin–Madison)	This report examines English learner testing participation, English language proficiency, and year-over-year growth across the WIDA Consortium from 2018 to 2023 to track the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Human, Policy, Resource	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Dual Language Programs Intervention Report (English Language Arts Topic Area)	What Works Clearinghouse	Analyzes the existing research evidence on dual language programs’ effects on student outcomes and concludes that dual language programs show moderate evidence of potentially positive effects on English literacy achievement but uncertain effects on science and mathematics achievement.
Human, Policy, Resource	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Pathway to Academic Success Project Intervention Report	What Works Clearinghouse	Analyzes the effects of the Pathway to Academic Success Project—a teacher training program that embeds cognitive reading and writing strategies for intermediate-proficiency English learners—on writing quality, writing conventions, and literacy achievement by reviewing five studies against WWC evidence standards.
Human, Organizational, Policy	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Teaching young multilingual learners: impacts of a professional learning programme on teachers’ practices and students’ language and literacy skills	Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Babinski, Amendum, Carrig, Knotek & Sanchez)	Evaluates the impact of a year-long teacher professional learning program on kindergarten and first-grade teachers’ instructional practices and their multilingual learners’ language and literacy growth.
Human	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Pedagogical Practices Revisited: The Science of Reading and Culturally Sustaining Early Literacy for Multilingual Learners	Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook (Terrazas & Marek)	This paper examines how culturally sustaining pedagogy can be integrated with Science of Reading research to support early literacy instruction for multilingual learners by reviewing the contributions and limitations of each framework, before describing three concrete instructional strategies that K-16 educators can use to build on students’ linguistic and cultural assets.
Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Encontré Algo Mejor” / “I Found Something Better”: Trans-Perspectives and Raising Critical Consciousness with Secondary Bilingual/Multilingual STEM Teachers	International Journal of Multicultural Education (Solís, Howard; Mosqueda & Bravo	This qualitative case study examines how 12 in-service bilingual STEM teachers in a graduate-level professional development program (Project Leverage) engaged three “trans-” perspectives — translanguaging, transdisciplinarity, and transcultural repositioning — to build critical consciousness for teaching multilingual learners.The findings support using boundary-breaking, asset-based pedagogical frameworks in bilingual STEM teacher preparation and professional development.
Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Change in Emergent Multilingual Learners’ Mathematical Communication: Attending to Language Use and Needs	International Consortium for Research in Science & Mathematics Education (Smith, Silva, Weinburgh, Jones & Riggs)	This study examines how fifth- and eighth-grade emergent multilingual learners’ mathematical communication changed after three weeks of intentional instruction in a bilingual summer enrichment program built around a crime-scene-investigation theme integrating science, math, and English.The findings support giving multilingual learners explicit, metacognitive instruction in the varied modes of mathematical communication rather than assuming exposure alone builds that skill.
Human, Organizational, Policy	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy, Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Language, Literacy, and Love: A Critical Framework for Teaching Adolescent Emergent Bilinguals	Journal of Language and Literacy Education (Anderson, Stewart & Lozada)	This article presents a “Language, Literacy, and Love” framework for supporting adolescent emergent bilinguals across content-area disciplines and offers teachers concrete, discipline-specific practices for putting the framework into action.
Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Accelerate Success for English Learners: Formative Assessment Support for Integrated and Meaningful Language Learning	Region 15 Comprehensive Center at WestEd (Jones, Faulkner-Bond, Blitz & Garcia-Arena)	This brief, the second in a series on high-quality English learner instruction, examines how teachers can integrate content, analytic practices, and language simultaneously in lessons by using formative assessment tools to plan, monitor, and respond to evidence of student learning.
Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Accelerate English Learner Success: Students Participate in Collaborative Discussions	Region 15 Comprehensive Center at WestEd (Jones, Faulkner-Bond & Blitz)	This brief, part of a series on high-quality English learner instruction, examines how structured collaborative discussion and an inclusive learning culture support English learners’ language and content development by drawing on sociocultural learning theory and distinguishing exploratory from explanatory discourse, before describing formative assessment supports that teachers can use to enact these two features of quality instruction.
Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Accelerate English Learner Success: Students Take Ownership Over Their Learning With Formative Assessment	Region 15 Comprehensive Center at WestEd (Jones, Faulkner-Bond & Blitz)	This brief, part of a series on high-quality English learner instruction, examines how teachers can build English learners’ sense of agency, self-regulation, and asset-based learning by connecting language development to metacognitive practices like goal-setting and reflection.
Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Accelerate Success for English Learners: Students Work Beyond the Edge of Their Current Abilities With Formative Assessment	Region 15 Comprehensive Center at WestEd (Jones, Faulkner-Bond & Blitz)	This brief, part of a series on high-quality English learner instruction, examines how teachers can support English learners to engage in rigorous, “edge” learning within their zone of proximal development by using intentional, temporary instructional scaffolding rather than simplified content.
Human, Organizational		English Learner (EL) Pre-Referral Flow Chart Questions	WestEd	This decision-making flow chart includes target questions that Child Study teams or MTSS teams should address when working through the pre-referral decision-making process. Each school or district may modify these questions to reflect their own policies and procedures, but the outline of this flow chart provides some key decision points that should be considered when making referral decisions for English learners prior to special education initial evaluation.
Human, Resource		What California Teachers Are Saying About Their Instructional Materials for English Learner Students	WestEd	This brief analyzes California teachers’ perceptions of and modifications to their school- and district-provided instructional materials for English learner students
Human, Organizational	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	Instructional Practices for English Language Learners During Content Instruction	Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI)	This brief reviews research-based instructional considerations for supporting English language learners in content classrooms by examining three areas of practice—scaffolding strategies, academic language development, and disciplinary language and content knowledge—drawing on existing literature to summarize concrete techniques teachers can use to help ELLs build English proficiency alongside deep subject-matter understanding.
Human, Policy	Promoting Evidece-Based Literacy	Evidence-Based Writing Practices to Support English Learner Students	Institute of Education Sciences	This infographic outlines the Write to Succeed professional learning program developed through REL Southwest’s partnership with New Mexico educators by describing four evidence-based stages of scaffolded writing instruction alongside culturally and linguistically responsive instruction practices, offering both as approaches teachers can use to strengthen English learners’ literacy and writing skills.
Human, Resource	Meaningful Learning Opportunities, Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy	Off to a Great Start: The Potential for Tutoring Paired with the Off2Class Foundational Literacy Curriculum to Boost English Proficiency Gains for Adolescent Newcomer English Learners	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This randomized controlled trial tests whether adding small-group virtual high-impact tutoring to the Off2Class Foundational Literacy curriculum improves English reading proficiency for 158 low-literacy English learners in grades 6–12 in a South Carolina district.
Human, Policy, Resource, Organizational	Promoting Evidece-Based Literacy	Essential Elements of Effective Practices for English Learners	Center for Equity for English Learners, Loyola Marymount University	This policy brief synthesizes research on effective instruction for English learners and presents four essential elements for EL program implementation, teacher reflection and monitoring of teacher effectiveness: rigorous and relevant instructional practices, multiple measures for EL assessment, assessment of teachers’ practices and collaboration with professional development. It closes with three policy priorities: state and district leadership support for these elements, funding and staffing aimed at teacher development and materials, and teacher preparation and credential requirements that build in all four elements.
Human		Resources for Educators and Families: Spanish Literacy for Multilingual and English Learner Students	Center for Equity for English Learners, Loyola Marymount University	This annotated resource guide brings together articles, research reports, white papers, videos and websites on Spanish and biliteracy development for multilingual and English learner students. It groups them by audience (educators or families) and by language (Spanish, English or bilingual), with a citation and short description for each. It ends with a directory of organizations that support English learners and biliteracy.
Human		Reaching Teachers of Early Multilingual Learners through Professional Development: A Systematic Literature Review	Clemson University	This systematic literature review synthesizes 49 peer-reviewed empirical studies examining professional development (PD) for mainstream, in-service, early elementary (PK–3) teachers of multilingual learners in the United States. The authors analyze the content, design elements, partnerships, and impact of these PD models, revealing that while PD frequently emphasizes foundational literacy and academic language, it often lacks sufficient integration of student culture, family engagement, and native linguistic repertoires. The review highlights the positive impacts of ongoing, collaborative PD on teacher instruction and student participation, while calling for future research into long-term student academic outcomes and teacher leadership models.
Resource		Integrated ELD Guide for District Leaders (2024)	Oregon State University, Oregon Collaboration & Integration Collaborative	Leadership guide supporting district-level implementation of integrated ELD through planning tools, program models, self-assessments, implementation checklists, and systems guidance.
Resource		Research-Practice Partnerships: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2025)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	The selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 17 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding research-practice partnerships (RPPs) between universities and districts and schools. These annotations build on the annotations regarding university and district partnerships in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (CEEL, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs.
Resource		Assessment: A selected annotated bibliography for English Learner research, policy, and practice (2025)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	The selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 18 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding the assessment of English Learners and Multilingual Learners. These annotations build on the annotations regarding assessment in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (CEEL, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs.
Resource	Evidence Based Literacy	Biliteracy and Bilingualism: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for Biliteracy and Bilingualism: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2026)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	The selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 25 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding biliteracy and bilingualism. These annotations build on the annotations regarding biliteracy and bilingualism in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (Center for Equity for English Learners, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs.
Resource		Digital Learning for English Learners: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2026)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	This selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 17 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding digital learning resources for English Learners (ELs) and Multilingual Learners (MLs). These annotations build on the annotations regarding digital learning in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (CEEL, 2022) to include publications from 2022-2026. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs and MLs.
Resource		Comprehensive National Research: A Selected Annotated Comprehensive National Research: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2026)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	This selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 4 annotations from national research publications regarding English Learners (ELs) and Dual Language Learners (DLLs). These annotations build on the annotations of comprehensive national research in CEEL’s 2022 annotated bibliography, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice (CEEL, 2022), to include publications from 2022-2025. This selected annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs and DLLs.
Resource	Evidence Based Literacy	Designated ELD: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Designated ELD: A Selected Annotated Bibliography for English Learner Research, Policy, and Practice Learner Research, Policy, and Practice (2026)	Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University	This selected annotated bibliography is comprised of 19 annotations from recent and seminal literature regarding designated English Language Development (d-ELD). The California English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework (CDE, 2015) defines Designated English Language Development (d-ELD) as a dedicated time during the regular school day when specialized instruction is provided to English Learners based on the English Language Development Standards, students’ English language proficiency levels, and their English language learning needs. It includes developing English Learners’ oral language proficiency, discourse practices, reading, and writing necessary for successful participation in academic tasks in all content areas. This type of instruction is also known as English Language Development (ELD), English as a Second Language (ESL), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), or English as a New Language (ENL). Although designated ELD differs from integrated ELD, both are needed for a comprehensive ELD program offered in grades preK-12.
Resource	Evidence Based Literacy	A Framework for Foundational Literacy Skills Instruction for English Learners: Instructional Practice and Materials Considerations (2023)	Council of the Great City Schools	The framework outlines six guiding principles that integrate language-based and code-based skills simultaneously within meaningful, grade-level content rather than through decontextualized phonics alone. Furthermore, it equips educators with a essential linguistics primer and provides a detailed, phased design criteria matrix to assist school leaders in evaluating and selecting instructional materials that effectively support EL literacy acquisition.
Resource	Evidence Based Literacy	Supporting Dually Identified Students in Dual Language Immersion (May 2026)	Council of the Great City Schools	This publication synthesizes research on bilingualism, cross-linguistic transfer, and neurodevelopmental disorders to establish how home language instruction supports English acquisition and cognitive processing for learners with special needs. Additionally, it identifies systemic barriers—such as departmental siloing, misidentification, and restrictive pull-out practices—and provides a comprehensive implementation playbook for school and district leaders to ensure legal compliance, integrated service delivery, and equitable program access
Resource		Raising the Achievement of English Learners in East Baton Rouge Public Schools: Report of the Strategic Support Team of the Council of the Great City Schools (2022)	Council of the Great City Schools	Thhis research report evaluates community context, demographic shifts, academic achievement (LEAP 2025 and ACT), English language proficiency (ELPT domain performance), organizational staffing, funding, and instructional delivery across the district’s regions. It concludes with targeted findings and systemic recommendations to address operational gaps, improve ESL teacher allocations, enhance curriculum access, and raise overall academic and language outcomes for EL students.
Resource		Funding English Learner Education: Making the Most of Policy and Budget Levers	Migration Policy Institute (MPI) – National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy	Covers key federal funding streams (Title I, Title II, Title III, migrant and refugee programs, and COVID-19 relief), state and local funding formulas and EL-specific allocation methods, and the data transparency and stakeholder participation needed to hold systems accountable for equitable spending.
Resource, Policy		Investigating the (Mis)alignment Between Expenditures and Policy to Improve Multilingual Learner Programs	Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (Correia, Hos, & Cahan)	This article reviews how local education agencies (LEAs) allocated their state-issued funding to improve MLL language programs and increase student outcomes and discusses how the state can improve their function as an organizational leader and serve as a model for other stakeholders in the shared obligation of the education of MLLs.
Resource, Policy, Human, Organizational	Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy, Meaningful Learning Opportunities	The Effects of English Language Development Curriculum Materials on Students’ English Proficiency	Annenberg Institute at Brown University	This working paper evaluates whether English language development curriculum materials improve emergent bilingual students’ English proficiency in Texas schools. It uses local linear matching to compare schools that bought state-adopted materials with schools that bought none, and checks the results with other matching methods and a comparative interrupted time series design. It finds that schools without any such curriculum have significantly lower English proficiency scores.
Resource	Meaningful Learning Opportunities	ESSER: Moving the Needle on Equitable and Adequate Education Funding for English Learners	The Migration Policy Institute issue	This brief examines how school districts across five states leveraged federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to address pandemic-era challenges and long-standing inequities faced by the nation’s 5 million English Learners (ELs). Based on Spring 2022 interviews with district administrators, the report highlights investments made in four core areas: academic recovery (such as high-dosage tutoring and language software), social-emotional learning, student re-engagement (via family outreach and translation services), and teacher retention and capacity. The brief concludes with actionable recommendations for federal, state, and local policymakers to sustain these vital financial investments and support structures after ESSER funds expire.
Resource		Variation is the Norm: A Landscape Analysis of Weighted Student Funding Implementation	Edunomics Lab, published in Public Budgeting & Finance	This peer-reviewed study investigates how school districts implement weighted student funding (WSF) models to allocate educational resources. By analyzing financial data and formula features across 19 school districts, the authors reveal that rather than following a uniform template, districts adopt highly varied, homegrown approaches shaped by local contexts. Ultimately, the findings highlight significant divergences in how student weights, exemptions, and staff allocations are operationalized in practice despite shared goals of equity and transparency.
Resource	Meaningful learning opportunities	Defining High-Quality Instructional Materials for Mathematics: Centering the Assets and Needs of Multilingual Learner and English Learner Students (2023)	High-Quality Instructional Materials Learning Partners Coalition (HQIM-LPC)	This document establishes a comprehensive standard for high-quality mathematics instructional materials (HQIM) centered on the assets and needs of multilingual learner and English learner (ML/EL) students in California. It outlines five essential components of quality: state standard alignment, access supports for rigorous grade-level content, implementation guidance, culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy, and robust assessments for both content and language. Additionally, the brief provides a curated list of recommended evaluation rubrics, tools, and research frameworks to assist educators, policymakers, and curriculum decision-makers.