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American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors.
American School Counselor Association. (2022). Live webinars.
Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
De La Rosa, S. (2021, December 14). Century Foundation report calls for bilingual ed funding boost, policy shift. Education Dive.
Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. § 1703.
Mckinney Independent School District. (2022). English Learner Support.
Najarro, I. (2022, June 3). Virtual learning made persistent problems worse for English learners. Education Week.
TAC, Title 19, § 89.1226
Texas Education Agency. (2022). 2021-2022 Emergent Bilingual/English learner reclassification criteria chart.

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English Language Learners lost valuable academic knowledge during the pandemic. Teachers, schools, districts and the government can step in and try to make up for the lost educational time.

ELL's are allowed to have an education in the United States. Their country of origin does not matter.

The state of Texas has very specific laws on the status of ELL's and the codification needed through LPAC to get them reclassified.

Educators need to make sure what assessments are to be given to ELL's and what these assessments mean, in accordance with the primary language that is spoken by the student.

As school counselors, we will need to make sure that we make relationships with ELL students, and with their families as well.

The barriers for ELL's include language and possibly cultural barriers as well. School counselors will need to work closely with teachers, administrators, students and their families to help them overcome these barriers.

Community outreach will need to be made by school counselors. The community can assist with translation and/or resources the students or families may need, especially if they are New Comers.

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My personal connection to English Language Learners is that I was an ELL. When I entered kindergarten, I was used to speaking more Spanish than English at home so I was placed in a Bilingual classroom. This was in Indiana. When I moved to Texas at the age of 9, I was placed in a monolingual classroom. Now that I teach at a school where there are many ELL's it was interesting to take a "behind the scenes" look at the laws involved with ELL's. When submitting scores for my kindergartners on the TELPAS, it is not something that should be done without any data to back it up. Students can be reclassified and this can change the course of their academic lives. Educators must make sure they are guiding students to meet their best academic merit, no matter what their primary language may be.

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The American School Counselor's Association (ASCA) offers a code of ethics for school counselors. In section A.1.c. in the code of ethics it states that school counselors should support all students in their academic and emotional development. This includes working through any barriers that might hinder their development. This would include language for ELL's in the schools (ASCA, 2022).
https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

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McKinney Independent School District has guidelines in effect to assist ELL's in their learning. These include being able to communicate in their academic classes and also have an understanding of the different cultures in our society as a whole (McKinney ISD, 2022).
https://www.mckinneyisd.net/english-learner-support/

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The Texas Administrative Code includes a law on the testing and classification of students, including ELLs. It includes the following:

students that are noted as speaking another language in their home language survey will need to have a language assessment.

there is specific protocol to be followed to classify students as ELLs.

there is also specific protocol on reclassifying ELL students. These reclassifications occur at the end of the school year (TAC rule §89.1226).

https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=2&ch=89&rl=1226

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(a) The single state-approved English language proficiency test for identification of English learners described in subsection (c) of this section shall be used as part of the standardized, statewide identification process. (b) Within four weeks of initial enrollment in a Texas school, a student with a language other than English indicated on the home language survey shall be administered the state-approved English language proficiency test for identification as described in subsection (c) of this section and shall be identified as English learners and placed into the required bilingual education or ESL program in accordance with the criteria listed in subsection (f) of this section. (c) For identifying English learners, school districts shall administer to each student who has a language other than English as identified on the home language survey: (1) in prekindergarten through Grade 1, the listening and speaking components of the state-approved English language proficiency test for identification; and (2) in Grades 2-12, the listening, speaking, reading, and writing components of the state-approved English language proficiency test for identification. (d) School districts that provide a bilingual education program at the elementary grades shall administer a language proficiency test in the primary language of the student who is eligible to be served in the bilingual education program. If the primary language of the student is Spanish, the school district shall administer the Spanish version of the state-approved language proficiency test for identification. If a state-approved language proficiency test for identification is not available in the primary language of the student, the school district shall determine the student's level of proficiency using informal oral language assessment measures. (e) All of the language proficiency testing shall be administered by professionals or paraprofessionals who are proficient in the language of the test and trained in the language proficiency testing requirements of the test publisher. (f) For entry into a bilingual education or ESL program, a student shall be identified as an English learner using the following criteria. (1) In prekindergarten through Grade 1, the student's score(s) from the listening and/or speaking components on the state-approved English language proficiency test for identification is/are below the level designated for indicating English proficiency. (2) In Grades 2-12, the student's score(s) from the listening, speaking, reading, and/or writing components on the state-approved English language proficiency test for identification is/are below the level designated for indicating English proficiency. (g) A student shall be identified as an English learner if the student's ability in English is so limited that the English language proficiency assessment described in subsection (c) of this section cannot be administered. (h) The language proficiency assessment committee in conjunction with the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee shall identify a student as an English learner if the student's ability in English is so limited or the student's disabilities are so severe that the English language proficiency assessment described in subsection (c) of this section cannot be administered. The decision for entry into a bilingual education or ESL program shall be determined by the language proficiency assessment committee in conjunction with the ARD committee in accordance with §89.1220(f) of this title (relating to Language Proficiency Assessment Committee). (i) An English learner may be reclassified as English proficient only at the end of the school year in which a student would be able to participate equally in a general education, all-English instructional program. This determination shall be based upon all of the following: (1) a proficiency rating on the state-approved English language proficiency test for reclassification that is designated for indicating English proficiency in each the four language domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing); (2) passing standard met on the reading assessment instrument under the Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.023(a), or, for students at grade levels not assessed by the aforementioned reading assessment instrument, a score at or above the 40th percentile on both the English reading and the English language arts sections of the state-approved norm-referenced standardized achievement instrument; and (3) the results of a subjective teacher evaluation using the state's standardized rubric. (j) An English learner may not be reclassified as English proficient in prekindergarten or kindergarten. A school district must ensure that English learners are prepared to meet academic standards required by the TEC, §28.0211. (k) An English learner may not be reclassified as English proficient if the language proficiency assessment committee has recommended designated supports or accommodations on the state reading assessment instrument based on the student's second language acquisition needs. (l) For English learners who are also eligible for special education services, the standardized process for English learner reclassification is followed in accordance with applicable provisions of subsection (i) of this section. However, annual meetings to review student progress and make recommendations for reclassification must be made in all instances by the language proficiency assessment committee in conjunction with the ARD committee in accordance with §89.1230(b) of this title (relating to Eligible Students with Disabilities). Additionally, the language proficiency assessment committee in conjunction with the ARD committee shall implement assessment procedures that differentiate between language proficiency and disabling conditions in accordance with §89.1230(a) of this title. (m) For an English learner with a significant cognitive disability, the language proficiency assessment committee in conjunction with the ARD committee may determine that the state's English language proficiency assessment for reclassification is not appropriate because of the nature of the student's disabling condition. In these cases, the language proficiency assessment committee in conjunction with the ARD committee may recommend that the student take the state's alternate English language proficiency assessment, determine an appropriate performance standard requirement for reclassification by language domain under subsection (i)(1) of this section, and utilize the results of a subjective teacher evaluation using the state's standardized alternate rubric. (n) Notwithstanding §101.101 of this title (relating to Group-Administered Tests), all tests used for the purpose of identification, reclassification, and placement of students and approved by the TEA must be re-normed at least every eight years.

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(a) The single state-approved English language proficiency test for identification of English learners described in subsection (c) of this section shall be used as part of the standardized, statewide identification process.

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Texas Education Agency supplies a reclassification chart for English Language Learners. It includes the following:

the assessments that classified ELL learners must take and the grading criteria needed to reclassify them.

a subjective teacher evaluation is also provided so that teachers can have direct input on the reclassification of ELL students (TEA, 2022).

https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/2021-2022-eb-el-reclassification-criteria-chart.pdf

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The law that stems from the court case of Brown v. Board of Education is one that began the movement of segregation in schools. In reference to English Language Learners, this court case assisted in:

beginning the process of ending segregation.

it overturned the Plessy vs. Ferguson case of separate but equal (Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)).

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1656510

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The Constitutional Law that aligns with English Language Learners is the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. In respect to English Language Learners, this law:

allows anyone to get an education, regardless of their race, color, sex, or origin.

asks educational institutions to assure that language barriers do not prohibit students from gaining an education (Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. § 1703).

https://www.congress.gov/bill/93rd-congress/house-bill/40

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H.R.40 - 93rd Congress (1973-1974): Equal Educational Opportunities Act

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Equal Educational Opportunities Act - Declares it to be the policy of the United States that all children enrolled in public schools are entitled to equal educational opportunity without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin; and that the neighborhood is the appropriate basis for determining public school assignments.

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The person I interviewed is Julie Gomez, she is a Bilingual School Psychologist with Dallas ISD. She is assigned to many schools in the district but one such school does include many New Comers and ELL students. There are a lot of referrals with these new students and she needs consent for certain types of services, such as individual and group counseling, but not others such as classroom management and social services.
The best practices for ELL's in Ms. Gomez's position are as follows:

Building relationships with students and also parents and/or guardians.

Therapy that involves individual therapy and also trauma therapy, as some ELL's have experienced situations in their native countries that require processing.

Familiarizing with best practices with students and families from other cultures.

An emerging issue that can be seen with ELL's is the influx of students from many different countries, especially during these present times. Ms. Gomez did explain that even though she is a Bilingual school psychologist, she does not speak all of the dialects from Mexico, and she does receive students from these different parts of Mexico. Students are coming from all over the world. When a student comes and Ms. Gomez doesn't speak their language, she reaches out to the  language services of the school district. If the school district doesn't have support for the native language of the student, she reaches out to the community to find a reliable source that speaks the native language of the student.
https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/28158

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Counselors Corner / Counselors Home Page

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Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy at A. Maceo Smith

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The title of this article is Virtual learning made persistent problems worse for English-learners. Here is the link: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/virtual-learning-made-persistent-problems-worse-for-english-learners/2022/06
The summary on how it pertains to the topic includes:

There were struggles with English Language Learners during virtual learning that were noticed by teachers. These included inadequate workspaces, limited access to food, incomplete work assignments and not enough support at home.

ELL students lost the strong support system they had at school when virtual learning had to take place.

These students also lost necessary resources, such as visual aids, that were an asset during face to face instruction.

Strategies that can assist ELL's now and in the future include one on one check ins by teachers, strong communication between schools and parents, and hiring bilingual counselors and teachers and liaisons between home and school (Najarro, 2022).

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Bit by bit researchers continue to piece together how virtual learning impacted English-language learners' education, from limiting vital in-person interactions with teachers and peers to leaving some without a robust support system at home.

A new report from the Government Accountability Office released in May found that teachers who were teaching in a virtual environment with at least 20 percent English-learners reported that their students "struggled with understanding lessons and completing assignments, having an appropriate workspace, accessing school meals, and getting assistance at their workspace."

The findings are based on a nationally representative survey of elementary and secondary public school teachers conducted last summer. The report is part of a series from the GAO looking at how learning through the pandemic has played out for students both in terms of the obstacles they have faced and best practices to support students moving forward.

A 2020 report from the agency, for example, found that when schools turned to virtual learning early in the pandemic, English-learners lost access to learning and resources, such as not having reliable internet access at home to log in for classes, and more broadly lost access to peers and teachers who could help with language development.

Yet researchers including Jacqueline Nowicki, director of K-12 education for the federal agency, said many of the challenges English-learners experienced in virtual learning aren't new-and neither are their solutions.

"I think [the pandemic] really just exacerbated and made more obvious gaps that researchers have known for years," Nowicki said.

Pre-pandemic issues under the spotlight

Some of the GAO findings include:

Elementary school teachers with a high percentage of English-learners were at least three times more likely than other elementary school teachers to report their students regularly lacked an appropriate workspace at home.

Middle school teachers with a high percentage of English-learners were about six times more likely than other middle school teachers to report their students regularly had difficulty understanding lessons.

Middle school teachers with a high percentage of English-learners were about six times more likely than other middle school teachers to report their students regularly had difficulty completing class assignments.

Teachers with a large number of students who received free or reduced-priced meals also reported similar disparities.

The findings complement other researchers' insights about virtual instruction for English-learners in particular-some the function of longstanding issues.

The lack of preparation that general education teachers receive to support English-learners in their classroom was an issue pre-pandemic that was showcased more clearly in virtual learning, said Amaya Garcia, deputy director of Pre-K-12 education at the think tank New America.

Garcia and Leslie Villegas, senior policy analyst with the Education Policy program at New America, wrote a report released in April based on interviews with 20 English-learner advocates, experts, and researchers. They looked at everything from how identification of English-learner students to funding was impacted by the pandemic.

Younger students got less direct English instruction overall due to educators limiting screen time, they found. Older students lost opportunities to interact with and learn from their peers. Virtual learning didn't allow for the usual visual aids, like charts and diagrams, students might have seen in the physical classroom.

Garcia and Villegas fear that now educators will be focused on catching students up and on what students weren't able to learn during virtual instruction instead of thinking about what they did learn and how to use that to fill in gaps in understanding and language development.

Research shows how strengthening a home language can facilitate English language development, and some English-learners were able to make gains in language development while attending school virtually. But "our education system is not really prepared to assess those gains in those home languages," Villegas said.

Strategies for success aren't new

For now, strategies to better support students going forward are rooted in practices that were successful before the pandemic.

The GAO report, for instance, found that one-on-one check-ins between teachers and students, and small group work in person were successful strategies teachers used to help students stay on track academically.

Schools, districts, and school networks that were better able to meet students' needs through virtual learning already had strong communication and engagement plans and strategies with parents and families, Villegas said.

"I think that moving forward making sure that that continues to be a priority across schools is one of the big opportunities here," Villegas said.

And while COVID-19 federal relief funds for schools are being used to buy more products such as software and headphones for English-learners, Garcia said there's an opportunity to better ensure students are well supported by instead investing in human capital such as bilingual counselors, home-school liaisons, teachers, and more.

"As districts continue to think about ways to invest these ESSER funds, I think that there needs to be some consideration of how to create more holistic supports and systems to serve [English-learners]," Garcia said.

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Virtual Learning Made Persistent Problems Worse for English-Learners

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Bit by bit researchers continue to piece together how virtual learning impacted English-language learners' education, from limiting vital in-person interactions with teachers and peers to leaving some without a robust support system at home.

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There is a webinar being offered by ASCA named Support Latinx Students. This webinar will offer guidance for school counselors in assisting first generation Latinx students as they navigate obstacles that can be encountered in their academic lives. It will also offer strategies in getting their families involved. The link is available here: https://members.schoolcounselor.org/event-details?id=e983ef1f-46d5-ec11-bea1-0003fff7e612&reload=timezone (ASCA, n.d.).

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First- generation Latinx students may experience various obstacles due to the lack of resources, English language difficulties, oppression and discrimination. As school counselors, it is important to be aware of the obstacles first-generation Latinx students face and how we can best support them.
Learning Objective:
After viewing this webinar, you will be able to:

1. Discuss obstacles first-generation Latinx students face

2. Strategize ways to support first-generation Latinx students

3. Explain ways to engage Latinx families in the school system

Presenter:
Diego Castro, School Counselor, Livingston Union School District, Livingston, C alif.

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My professional perspective is one of a school counselor in an elementary school setting. This is intended for future school counselors. The topic will be English Language Learners. This topic has been chosen because as a current educator at a Title I school, I am seeing the influx of Newcomers and English Language Learners and I would like others to know how to best serve them and what the legal rights are in serving this community.

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In the article Century Foundation report calls for bilingual ed funding boost, policy shift by Shawna De La Rosa, there are some important points:

The argument is that more funding is needed to move away from English only models for these students and instead provide Bilingual models for their learning environments.

The amount of funding for ELL learners should be tripled and there should also be a focus on early education for ELL's.

The academic progress of ELL's was limited, mostly due to the pandemic, and this supports the case for more funding to be made available for them (2021). https://www.k12dive.com/news/century-foundation-report-calls-for-bilingual-ed-funding-boost-policy-shif/611379/

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Dive Brief:

The author of a new Century Foundation report argues English learners deserve more federal funding and would benefit from federal policies that shift education from English-only to bilingual and biliterate models. English learners make up more than 10% of the U.S. student population.

In the report, Conor Williams, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, recommends tripling the annual Title III funding for ELs from about $740 million to $2.2 billion, which would amount to about $440 in annual per-pupil funding for ELs. He also suggests collecting more accurate data on ELs' language and academic development and supporting EL early education.

"Too often, states and school districts have treated ELs' linguistic diversity as an obstacle or liability to be overcome," Williams wrote. "The nation needs a more equitable, 'English-plus' approach to supporting ELs, beginning with systemic recognition that their home languages are considerable strengths to be developed."

Dive Insight:

As Williams indicated in the report, bilingualism can serve as a future professional advantage for students. And according to a blog from American University School of Education, bilingual students are also known to communicate with a higher level of literacy and develop an awareness of how languages work, aiding in later language acquisition.

The San Antonio Independent School District in Texas is among school systems that have recognized this, having implemented an 80-20 immersion model for emergent bilingual students. The model not only aims to create more educational equity for bilingual students, but also ensures native Spanish-speakers retain their original language foundation.

The 80-20 model starts with a mix of 80% Spanish and 20% English in pre-K, then progressively adds more English every year until 4th grade, when the mix becomes 50-50. The program is intended to prevent Spanish-speaking students from falling behind in other disciplines such as reading and writing.

The pandemic put ELs at a disadvantage nationwide, further supporting the case to increase federal funding. Many English learners fell behind during the difficult learning conditions required by social distancing. In a survey conducted by ESL resource provider Off2Class, 40% of global EL educator respondents suggested some students should have been held back to repeat a grade due to pandemic-related learning delays.

One of the issues cited by respondents was students' difficulty with pronunciation, as students typically learn to pronounce words by mimicking mouth movements, which can be more difficult to discern online.

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Century Foundation report calls for bilingual ed funding boost, policy shift

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The author of a new Century Foundation report argues English learners deserve more federal funding and would benefit from federal policies that shift education from English-only to bilingual and biliterate models. English learners make up more than 10% of the U.S. student population.