Skip to page content

Teaching English as a Second Language

Report
Educating Newcomers: A Research-Practice Conversation
RAND researchers highlight findings from a recent study that estimates the number of children and youth from Central America and Mexico crossing the Southwest border of the United States from 2017 to 2019, as well as findings on policies and practice from two case study school districts in Louisiana and California.
Aug 4, 2022
News Release
Surges in Undocumented and Asylum-Seeking Children Prompt Need for Better K–12 Policies
491,000 children from Mexico and the Northern Triangle (Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador) arrived in the United States between fiscal years 2017 and 2019 and remained with unresolved immigration statuses. Of these, 321,000 were enrolled in U.S. K–12 public schools as of March 2020. About 75% settled in California, Texas, Florida, New York, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Georgia, North Carolina, and Louisiana.
Sep 30, 2021
Research Brief
Surges in Undocumented and Asylum-Seeking Children Prompt Need for Better K–12 Policies
Growing numbers of children from Central America and Mexico are arriving in the United States. As of March 2020, 321,000 undocumented and asylum-seeking children were enrolled in public schools. How are the schools managing, and what could be done to help them better prepare to assist these students?
Sep 30, 2021
Report
Educating Newcomers: K–12 Public Schooling for Undocumented and Asylum-Seeking Children in the United States
This report models numbers of undocumented and asylum-seeking children crossing the U.S. southwest border, reviews the federal and state policy landscapes for their education, and provides case studies of how schools are managing education for them.
Sep 30, 2021
Report
Do Teachers Perceive That Their Main Instructional Materials Meet English Learners' Needs? Key Findings from the 2020 American Instructional Resources Survey
In this Data Note, researchers draw on data from the spring 2020 American Instructional Resources Survey to examine teachers' perceptions of how their main materials meet the needs of English learners.
Jan 27, 2021
Research Brief
Dual-Language Immersion Programs Raise Student Achievement in English
Portland Public Schools students randomly assigned to dual-language immersion programs outperformed their peers on state reading tests by 13 percent in grade 5 and by 22 percent in grade 8. Students gained proficiency in a second language with no drop in their performance in math or science.
Nov 3, 2017
Report
How Are Teachers Perceiving and Addressing State Standards?
A high percentage of mathematics teachers report using instructional materials with some demonstrated evidence of alignment to Common Core State Standards. However, there is less evidence that state standards are playing a role in the materials English language arts teachers use.
Apr 4, 2017
Research Brief
Implementing Two-Way Dual-Language Immersion Programs: Classroom Insights from an Urban District
Teachers in two-way dual-language immersion classrooms consistently implemented key instructional practices targeted by the school district. Teachers strongly adhered to guidelines on language use. Students were less consistent in their language use.
Oct 17, 2016
Journal Article
Teaching Practices and Language Use in Two-Way Dual Language Immersion Programs in a Large Public School District
This article provides a descriptive view of what is happening in two-way dual language immersion classrooms in a large, urban U.S. school district.
Jul 28, 2016
News Release
American Teacher Panel Survey Looks at Teachers' Knowledge and Perceptions of State Standards
A high percentage of mathematics teachers report using instructional materials with some demonstrated evidence of alignment to Common Core State Standards. However, there is less evidence that state standards are playing a role in the materials English language arts teachers use.
Apr 18, 2016
Journal Article
The Effect of Attending Full-Day Kindergarten on English Learner Students
A significant and growing English learner (EL) population attends public schools in the United States.
Jul 22, 2015
Commentary
With Child Migrants Set to Become Students, Educators Must Prepare
Between 70,000 and 90,000 unaccompanied children are expected to cross the U.S.-Mexico border by year's end. Lost in an intensifying debate over U.S. immigration policy is the possibility that this wave will spill from shelters to schools. To best respond to this reality, policymakers and educators should consider what research says about educating migrant children.
Jul 14, 2014
Report
Optimizing the Defense Language Institute English Language Center
Presents an assessment of the Defense Language Institute English Language Center (DLIELC), which trains foreign nationals in English prior to their attending U.S. military education and training courses.
Aug 30, 2012

RAND Topic:
Teaching English as a Second Language

Topic Synonyms:
EFL;
ELT;
English as a Foreign Language;
English as a Second Language;
English for Speakers of Other Languages;
English Language Teaching;
ESL;
ESOL;
TEFL;
TESL;
TESOL