E.L. Achieve

08/21/2026

State Court Report answers 6 legal questions about the authority of states and localities to decide how their officials cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Learn more: statecourtreport.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/are-states-and-localities-required-cooperate-ice?mc_cid=a2d457f039&mc_eid=940cbdcb79

08/19/2026

The new school year could bring new Multilingual/English learners into your classroom. Here are some helpful hints from one of our handbooks for teachers.

08/13/2026

Massachusetts Governor Healey signed new legislation, the PROTECT Act, which "expands protections against warrantless civil immigration arrests at courthouses as well as public schools, childcare centers and healthcare facilities."
More information is shared here: www.wbur.org/news/2026/08/05/massachusetts-governor-protect-act-ice-immigrants-chelsea?mc_cid=eba15e7391&mc_eid=940cbdcb79

08/12/2026

The first day of school can bring plenty of nerves. These icebreakers are a good way to get students comfortable with each other, laughing, and talking. Who knows? Maybe it could help with your first day jitters, too!

08/11/2026

"California has released school-by-school data showing how many English learners became proficient in English. ... Advocates, parents and school district and county office of education leaders celebrated the release, saying the data can help highlight the importance of getting students to proficiency, and shows which schools may need more support to help their students learn English."

School leaders, parents and advocates celebrated the release of the new data, while cautioning that it doesn’t tell the whole story.

08/10/2026

"Reflection benefits every student, but it is especially crucial for students learning English as an additional language. In addition to being presented with new content, multilingual learners (MLs) face challenges related to making sense of in a language that is new to them. Because language is acquired by experiencing and practicing it in contexts we understand, building context around new learning through reflection increases MLs’ comprehension of both the content and the language."
– Veteran educators Lynne Dorfman, Catherine Gehman, Pérsida Himmele, and Aileen Hower, in their new book "Now That I Think About It: Teaching Your Students to Be Reflective and Effective Learners"
Read the full excerpt:

When students look at, in, and out during learning, they can improve their meaning-making and deepen their understanding.

08/09/2026

In June, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR) introduced the Dignity and Due Process for Children Act, legislation that would prevent ICE from detaining children who are alone or without a parent. Dexter said, “While we fight to end child detention altogether, we must ensure that every child in federal custody is protected by basic standards of due process and humane treatment." For more information: dexter.house.gov/media/press-releases/dexter-introduces-legislation-protect-childrens-dignity-and-due-process

Photo by Fine Photographics on Unsplash

08/07/2026

A new WIDA report provides a policy overview of English learner reclassification approaches used by U.S. state education agencies (SEAs). It catalogs and compares the range of reclassification models states employ, highlights limitations of current approaches, and offers recommendations to help SEAs design more equitable and effective reclassification policies for K–12 EL students. For a free download, go to: wida.wisc.edu/resources/overview-english-learner-reclassification-policy

08/05/2026

As the new school year approaches, now is a good time to think about how you want to build community in your classroom and school. Here are four ways you can do so. Read the full article at: shorturl.at/3Z6eO

08/02/2026

Research is showing benefits of dual language programs in improving student attendance. The advantages include a sense of belonging that comes with learning in a home language, as well as a high level of academic engagement as students feel school is "genuinely theirs" and not separate from the rest of life.
Read more about it here: languagemagazine.com/2026/06/21/perspective-why-dual-language-programs-may-be-one-of-our-best-school-attendance-levers/

by David Young, Gemini, EdNC.org | June 18, 2026 Chronic absenteeism doesn’t have a single cause. Anyone working in schools right now knows that — and knows how exhausting it is to address something so tangled up in circumstances that extend far beyond the school day. Across the United States, r...