While districts can estimate how many new students they will be absorbing from the border crisis, many won't know the full scope of the resources they need until students show up.

A study comparing the cognitive growth of 2-year-olds found that more Mexican-American children demonstrated slow growth compared to their white peers.

Under the waiver, ELLs would take state tests but their scores would not count toward their school's overall performance until the students were proficient in English.

Biliteracy seal bills are under consideration in the Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Rhode Island, Utah, and Virginia state legislatures. Several states with large English-language learner enrollment, including California, New York, and Texas, have already approved laws.

The school system entered into an agreement with the federal departments of Education and Justice in 2010 to avoid legal action after investigators found the school system denied thousands of ELLS an adequate education.

The goal is to "look at English learners as a national asset and investment in contrast to thinking of English learners as a problem or challenge coming to our school districts," said Libia Gil, the head of the department's office of English-language acquisition.

The Education Commission of the States report lists proposed changes in five policy areas, including finance, educator quality, and parent engagement.

A new study from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University challenges the long-held notion that charter schools actively push out students with special needs.

The percentage of ELLs taking the NAEP math and reading exams has risen steadily in most states over the last five years—an important goal for federal policymakers.

Earning the seal could open the door for college scholarships, internships, and jobs that require proficiency in a second language, educators say.