If you have implemented a novel approach to educating English-language learners that shows promise, the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition would like to know about it. The clearinghouse has a contract with the U.S. Department of Education to support states in how they use federal dollars for English-language-acquisition programs.
The clearinghouse has called for educators to write about their innovations with ELLs in 300 words or less and submit them for review. (Hat tip to the Center for Applied Second Language Studies at the University of Oregon for publicizing the call for submissions.) The clearinghouse will select innovations to post on its web site.
So far, the clearinghouse has posted a description of one innovation, the recognition of the bilingual skills of students by some California schools with a “seal of biliteracy” that appears on the transcript of graduating seniors. The seal recognizing students’ competence in two languages is now given out in 37 school districts, including the school district of Albuquerque, N.M.