Transcending Language, Transforming Schools

Millions of students attending public schools in the United States are being taught in a language they are still learning, and the achievement gap between these students and their English-proficient peers is wider than ever. This isn’t only a social justice concern; it is an issue with major implications for our future economic viability. Nowhere is this challenge greater than in LMU’s backyard. Approximately 43 percent of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District are English Learners. But Los Angeles is far from alone. Indeed, numerous states and school districts across the country are seeing an influx of EL students.

Educators who utilize students’ cultural and linguistic strengths while developing their academic competencies will help to transform schools and educational systems. Such is the vision of LMU’s Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL), which has emerged as a leader in the effort to define best EL teaching practices, train EL educators and provide resources for teachers and districts in the region, the state and the nation. CEELoffers scholarships for the Master of Arts in Biliteracy, Leadership and Intercultural Education as well as a fellowship program for doctoral students in the school’s Ed.D. program and two certificate programs, Leadership in Biliteracy for English Learners and Teaching Spanish as a Second Language.

CEEL also advances its vision of better EL education through strategic partnerships. The PROMISE – Pursuing Regional Opportunities for Mentoring, Innovation, and Success for English Learners – Initiative joins six Southern California county offices of education in an effort to bring about systemic reform that meets the needs of EL students. CEEL is conducting a study that documents current teacher practices and examines the impact of the PROMISE Initiative on teacher knowledge and efficacy. A second study seeks to document and define advocacy-oriented leadership for EL students. In addition to the collaboration with the PROMISE Initiative, CEEL serves as a hub of information for educators and districts across the country by providing resources on its Web site.

“The failure to properly educate the millions of EL students is among the most serious problems facing our country,” says Magaly Lavadenz, CEEL’s director. But, she adds, the LMU School of Education is creating a new path to EL success. It’s a path based on research to identify the best EL teaching practices; education and professional development of teachers and administrators; partnerships to assist districts in establishing an environment conducive to success; and the dissemination of resources and strategies to all who need them. It’s a path that can help to transform the lives of countless students. It’s an opportunity to reshape the future of our society for generations to come.

Visit the CEEL site here.