AZEdNews Podcast: Bill provides schools flexibility on ELL instruction

House Bill 2435 provides schools more flexibility in how they deliver instruction to English Language Learner (ELL) students.

The bill was approved by Arizona Legislators in the House and is pending for committee meeting in the Senate.

Currently, students who are English Language Learners (ELL) spend four hours each school day in Structured English Immersion (SEI) instruction.

The bill would let schools reduce the amount of time students spend in evidence-and research-based Structured English Immersion and alternative English instruction models and give them flexibility on how to provide that instruction to English Language Learners (ELL).

These changes would provide students more time to interact with their peers and increase access to other learning opportunities such as electives. It would also let students to progress academically with their peers in required classes increasing the graduation rate and reducing the number of dropouts.

The bill would also require the state to produce an annual report that includes information about student’s time in these English language development programs and their performance on statewide assessments after achieving proficiency.

To tell us more about how this legislation will affect Arizona students and schools are Stacey Morley with Stand for Children, Lourdes Pena with Triadvocates and Leigh Jensen with Arizona School Boards Association.

Podcast by Brooke Razo/Arizona School Boards Association: New legislation would provide schools flexibility on English Language Learner instruction

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