OELA Webinar

On Apr 21, Dr. Ilana Umansky, University of Oregon, Dr. Karen Thompson, Oregon State University, and Dr. Aída Walqui, WestEd offered a webinar sponsored by OELA on the topic: English Learners in Secondary Schools: Trajectories, Transition Points, and Promising Practices

Description: English Learners at the secondary level who are approaching high school graduation face unique challenges. Curricular prerequisites including English language development classes, graduation requirements, and for some, special education can create complex scheduling challenges, and intricate accessibility issues.

As schools engage in articulation activities to determine student placement in the upcoming school year, it is important to identify and eliminate structural barriers that may pose challenges to English Learners’ path towards graduation.

During the webinar presenters discussed what research shows about the academic trajectories of English Learners at the secondary level, including the trajectories of newcomers, students who have been labeled long-term English Learners, English Learners with disabilities, and former English Learners. Emphasis was placed on the discussion of structural barriers, policies, and practices that may reduce these barriers and facilitate students’ full access to content, and the promotion of their successful graduation.

• Webinar recording: https://vimeo.com/540799924/a14380e27d

• Webinar slides: https://www.ncela.ed.gov/files/webinars/20210421-SecondaryELsApril-OELA.pdf