Read the new report by the Center for Equity for English Learners and Californians Together
Minding the Gap: How Do New LCAP Requirements Address Equity for English Learners?
A new report by the Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) and Californians Together examines how well districts are using the LCAP to advance equity for English Learners. Reviewing plans from 26 districts with the largest English Learner populations, the analysis finds most still lack coherence, measurable goals, and differentiated supports for ELs and Long-Term English Learners.
Learn about recommendations state and district leaders can take to transform LCAPs from compliance documents into powerful tools for equity and accountability.
Practical, research-grounded guidance to prepare teachers to deliver assets-based literacy instruction for English Learners/Emerging Bilinguals
A new report from the National Committee for Effective Literacy
The NCEL Teacher Education Digest synthesizes what works in teacher preparation for EL/EB literacy: from coursework that builds bilingual/second-language pedagogies to clinical experiences that turn knowledge into classroom practice.
Join us at the National Committee for Effective Literacy Summit, on January 21. This pivotal gathering is dedicated to advancing effective literacy for multilingual learners.
The Summit will feature a keynote address, over 35 interactive workshops, and a closing panel of national experts. Early bird tickets available until November 15.
Californians Together is a statewide advocacy coalition from the education community whose goal is to better educate 1.1 million English learners by improving California’s schools and promoting equitable educational policy.
From data and assessment to strengthening the educator workforce, we are committed to engaging with diverse policy levers to improve education for our state’s 1.1 million English learners.
The California English Learner Roadmap is statewide policy guidance on welcoming and educating diverse multilingual learners. We work to ensure the roadmap’s successful implementation to fulfill the promise of the policy to provide rich instruction for English learners.
All students have a right to educators who are prepared to meet their unique needs. We believe in building a strong bilingual teacher pipeline in which educators feel supported in serving multilingual learners from early childhood through postsecondary.
The Seal of Biliteracy, which started in California, is a distinction students in every state can earn for displaying proficiency in two or more languages. We are proud of our advocacy on bringing the seal to fruition, but there is more work to be done to ensure English learners have fair pathways for attaining it.
Actionable data and transparent outcomes are crucial for understanding how schools serve multilingual learners. Our advocacy is rooted in the idea that continuous improvement is possible when we build assessment and accountability systems that measure what matters.
Long-Term English Learners are students who are classified as English learners for six years without making progress toward English proficiency. Our advocacy was vital for ensuring these students, about 200,000, are recognized as a distinct statistical category in the state data dashboard.
Dual language learners are children under five who are actively learning multiple languages simultaneously. More than 60% of students in this age group are considered dual language learners. We advocate for building systems that affirm and support these young learners.
Long-Term English Learners are students who are classified as English learners for six years without making progress toward English proficiency. Our advocacy was vital for ensuring these students, about 200,000, are recognized as a distinct statistical category in the state data dashboard.
From advocating in Sacramento to providing professional learning opportunities locally, Californians Together is deeply engaged in a number of initiatives designed to improve education for multilingual learners.
From sharing practical advocacy skills at the ELLLI institute to providing regular, regional networking events, we are building a community of education leaders who can pair their expertise with the skills they need to make change for English learners at every level.
SIRS is an initiative aimed at providing schools with the best resources and practices to create safe and welcoming classrooms for students, no matter where they come from.
Our resources have been accessed by everyone from local advocates to state and federal officials. For decades, our staff has produced compelling data dives to practical handbooks for local educators.
A new white paper from the Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) at Loyola Marymount University & Californians Together
Minding the Gap (2024–2027 analysis) focuses on 26 districts with the largest numbers—or highest percentages—of English Learners to understand how new LCAP requirements are influencing equity, accountability, and support for EL students statewide.
Our literacy policy must have a focus on student-responsive teaching. Multiliteracy is the way of the future, particularly for our diverse state in the 21st century. It must be a cornerstone of literacy/biliteracy education policy in California.
Martha Hernandez, Executive Director, Californians Together
