Researchers, educators, teachers, administrators, school board members, and advocates with expertise in literacy and the education of English learner/emergent bilingual students have come together to form the National Committee for Effective Literacy (NCEL), with the aim of improving research, policies, and practices to ensure that English learner/emergent bilingual students leave school as proficient readers and writers in English (and preferably another language), who thrive and succeed at school and in their communities.
“For the almost 10 million U.S. school children who are enrolling in our schools with a home language other than English and learning English as a second language, appropriate, effective literacy education that addresses their needs as second language learners and as dual language learners is an urgent educational equity issue facing our nation.” said Dr. Laurie Olsen, founding member of NCEL.