Mission: The Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) ensures equity and excellence in English Learner and Multilingual education by transforming educational systems and practices as leaders who collaborate in research, professional learning, and policy to positively impact generations of students and communities.
Vision: English Learner and Multilingual education is research- and evidence-based and fully integrated into the U.S. education system. Language, literacy, and all content instruction for English Learner and Multilingual students is assets-based, equitable, and just. English Learner and Multilingual students and their families are valued and engaged as partners in the education process.
Strategic Plan: Following a comprehensive and inclusive process that engaged CEEL’s many stakeholders, the team created a five-year plan that charts a course through 2028. The plan builds on CEEL’s more than 16 years of steady growth and innovation and positions it for a future of growth and increased impact, as well as heightened visibility as a critical partner in English Learner and Multilingual Student education.
National Center on English Learners and Multilingualism - US Department of Education (2024-2025)
Pictured are from the planning and visioning meetings as a team, with members from CEEL and EducationFirst.
The Comprehensive Centers program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, was set to provide a national network of support for states, districts, and schools to promote student achievement, increase performance among schools designated for improvement under the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and equip education leaders with evidence and tools to address emerging challenges facing K-12 schools.
LMU’s Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL), in partnership with Education First, was honored to serve as one of the four Content Centers, working to help states and LEAs improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students, close opportunity and achievement gaps, and enhance the quality of instruction—particularly for students from low-income backgrounds and those attending schools in need of additional support.
Although funding for this program was recently discontinued, CEEL remains dedicated to strengthening educational equity and access for English and multilingual learners.
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To read the initial announcement in our LMU Newsroom, click here.
Superdiverse Adolescent Multilingual Learners Resource Guide
The Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) is proud to share its latest resource guide with educational practitioners, researchers, and policymakers working to ensure that the extensive diversity among adolescent multilingual learners is recognized, valued, and supported. This guide embraces three essential purposes.
- Orient educators to the importance of listening to the voices of Superdiverse Adolescent Multilingual Learners to deepen their understanding of the complexity of the students’ backgrounds and experiences and to recognize their linguistic, cultural, and educational assets and challenges.
- Support educators to learn about the diverse profiles of the Multilingual Learner students’ experiences and outcomes in their local context.
- Guide policymakers and educators to sponsor, design and implement enhanced educational programs and services for the superdiverse Multilingual Learners they serve.
This Resource Guide includes profiles of each of the 26 adolescents who represent much of the cultural and linguistic diversity among Multilingual Learners, including U.S.-born, immigrant, and newcomer students from varying countries, ten native languages, and varying English proficiency. Students perspectives about their education highlighted three themes: School Culture and Climate, Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Education, and Systems of Excellence. For each of these themes, we provide research and learning tools to understand students’ experiences and perspectives, implementation tools for conducting further research and implementation of student-focused strategies for improving education, curated resources on effective educational programs, and research literature on educational practices that support Superdiverse Adolescent Multilingual Learners.
CEEL Research - Annotated Bibliography
The Center for Equity for English Learners announces its newest publication, Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy and Practice. Comprised of 350 annotations of both recent and seminal literature, this annotated bibliography supersedes a previous version and serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs.
Our goal was to provide a comprehensive selection of works focused on theory, research, and practice. The annotations are a result of purposeful searches of 23 topics in empirical and theoretical articles from peer-reviewed journals, books, book chapters, and reports from leading scholars in the field. Among the topics addressed relevant to EL education are broad areas such as bilingual teacher preparation, teaching and professional development, university and district partnerships, digital learning for ELs, social-emotional development, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and English Language Development (ELD) for elementary and secondary level students. The Integrated ELD (content instruction) topic is subcategorized according to specific disciplines including English language arts, history, mathematics, science, visual & performing arts, and STEM.
Please see our Research & Evaluation page for more CEEL research.
CEEL Publications - English Learner Master Plan Playbook
The Center for Equity for English Learners is proud to announce the publication of our ENGLISH LEARNER MASTER PLAN PLAYBOOK: Developing Equitable Local Education Policies for Multilingual and English Learner Students. The playbook provides tools for educators, families, and community members to engage in policy dialogues and development processes to support the creation of a local policy document - the English Learner Master Plan.
CEEL offers interactive sessions and technical assistance to help LEA teams create a plan to develop a district-wide English Learner Master Plan that is aligned to the research-based CA English Learner Roadmap policy and focuses on visionary policies, programs, and services that ensure equitable opportunities and outcomes for English Learners. Participants engage with the resources included in the CEEL English Learner Master Plan Playbook to develop a strategy for beginning or refining their approach to writing components of their EL Master Plan.
Please visit our English Learner Master Plan page for more information.
CEEL Highlights
- Current CEEL Highlights
- Previously Featured Highlights
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CEEL Education and Policy Brief 14
CEEL has published a new Education and Policy Brief exploring the possibilities for stronger alignment between educator preparation efforts in IHEs and TK-12 policies and practices. Read more about Advancing Coherence: Aligning Educator Preparation With California's English Learner Roadmap Policy or explore our other available Policy Briefs.2023-2028: CEEL Long Term Strategies
Following a comprehensive and inclusive process that engaged CEEL’s many stakeholders, the team created a five-year plan that charts a course through 2028. The plan builds on CEEL’s more than 16 years of steady growth and innovation and positions it for a future of growth and increased impact, as well as heightened visibility as a critical partner in English Learner and Multilingual Student education. It also is closely aligned with the strategic goals of Loyola Marymount’s School of Education and positions CEEL to continue to build on its successful partnership with its parent organization. Please view our full Strategic Plan for insights into the future of CEEL.CEEL Resources Extend Beyond the Bluff
The Center for Equity for English Learners has served as a dynamic catalyst for high-quality, research-based resources that inform global, national, and local contexts, garnering an impressive 689 downloads across 51 countries on the CEEL Digital Commons Platform over the last 90 days alone!CEEL Leads Cutting-Edge Systemic Reform
The Center for Equity for English Learners collaborates with state, county, and local partners to provide resources, best practices, and guided support for educators and administrators as they implement the California English Learner Roadmap Policy. CEEL's EL Master Plan Playbook guides educators in the engagement of policy dialogues and development processes to support the creation of a local policy document - the English Learner Master Plan.Californians Together & CEEL Celebrate a Milestone in Equity in Math Education
Over the next two years, our organizations will work collectively as the California High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) Coalition and Learning Partners to ensure that California’s list of approved instructional materials for TK-8 are high-quality, aligned to mathematics and English language development standards, center strategies and supports for multilingual learners, and are culturally and linguistically relevant for all of California’s diverse students. We will also create and disseminate resources to help schools and districts to evaluate, adopt, and effectively implement high-quality instructional materials in mathematics that align with the new Math Framework." Read the full statement on CalTog's website.Spring 2025 Featured Speaker Series - Coming soon!
We are pleased to share that we will be hosting our next Featured Speaker in May, 2025!
Please stay tuned for more details. Most recently, Dr. Jill Kerper Mora, Associate Professor Emerita at San Diego State University gave an insightful presentation on, "Reaffirming Our Multilingual/Multiliteracies Pedagogical Knowledge Base." Dr. Mora challenged prevailing narratives in multilingual and dual language education. She shared research-based insights and practical strategies aimed at enhancing literacy instruction for multilingual students. Drawing from her extensive experience in Texas, California, and Mexico, Dr. Mora equipped educators, administrators, and leaders with innovative resources to foster inclusive and effective literacy practices. The event was a valuable opportunity for professionals to expand their understanding and improve their approaches to multilingual education. View her presentation here! CEEL Education and Policy Brief 13
CEEL has published a new Education and Policy Brief exploring the successes and challenges of Bilingual Teacher Residencies (BTRs) and how to improve and sustain them into the future. Read more about Bilingual Teacher Residencies in California: Findings and Recommendations for Policy and Practice or explore our other available Policy Briefs.National Professional Development Grant
CEEL is proud to be in partnership with L.A. Unified School District and SEAL on the Prevent Long-Term English Learner Status Project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Dedicated 4th and 5th-grade teachers, alongside district and site leaders from 15 Project PEARLL-SEAL schools participate in this project.Philanthropy Affirms CEEL's Leadership
SOE's Center for Equity for English Learners continues its longstanding partnership with the Sobrato Family Foundation with the receipt of a new grant through 2025 for $650,000. Since 2018, Sobrato has sponsored nearly $2,000,000 to aid CEEL in its quest for equity for English Learner and Multilingual students.In the news – “Journalism program helps English learners with language skills”!
In January 2023, CEEL’s Journalism for English Learners program was featured by Spectrum News1, highlighting the success of one of our partner districts implementing the program - Compton Unified. Participate in our Journalism for English Learners Program Institute designed for teams of district or school leaders and teachers. Learn how this curriculum helps bolster ELs’ communication and writing skills to enrich and support instruction for students at risk of becoming long-term English Learners (LTELs).
CEEL Featured Programs
CEEL Research
CEEL engages in top-of-the-line research projects to inform key decisions and policy making.
Dialogic Reading
Collaborate with teachers, students, and families to create meaningful STEAM language and literacy development opportunities for Dual Language Learners!
EL Master Plan
CEEL helps LEA teams create a plan to develop a district-wide English Learner Master Plan that is aligned with the research-based CA English Learner Roadmap policy.
Featured Speakers
The Center for Equity for English Learners regularly hosts events where visiting scholars can present on a variety of topics to LMU's educational community.
Journalism for English Learners
Introduces teams dealing with Grades 3-5 to a project-based journalism curriculum specially designed for students at risk of becoming Long Term English Learners.
OPAL Institute
The OPAL is a research-based and validated classroom observation tool designed specifically to support teachers of English Learners.