Emergent bilingual learners have the right to excellent schools that support English mastery and develop and honor students’ home languages and cultures.
Strong programs for emergent bilingual students are well-funded, have high-quality teachers, and accurately track students’ progress and needs.
Learn more about IDRA’s work to ensure excellent and equitable educational opportunities for emergent bilingual students below.
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Emergent bilingual students are a significant – and growing – portion of the student population in school districts across the country. These students have so much to offer their schools and communities – they have the capacity to be bilingual and biliterate and to share their languages and cultures with their fellow students. Yet, they are often in underfunded school programs that do not support their academic achievement, with under-qualified teachers who are ill-equipped to track their progress.
IDRA works to ensure emergent bilingual students are treated as the powerful individuals and community assets they are. We support the leadership of emergent bilingual students and their families in schools. We advocate policies that increase funding for language programs for emergent bilingual students, provide high-quality teachers and instructional materials, and accurately and fairly track student progress and learning needs.
Learn more about IDRA’s policy recommendations for Texas.
Resources
Changing Policy
High-Quality Bilingual Education in Pre-K to Third Grade is a Literacy Strategy – IDRA Testimony on Interim Charge: Early Literacy and Numeracy Outcomes, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Committee on Public Education, August 13, 2024
Texas Gets Closer to Adopting a Bilingual Special Education Teacher Certificate, by Lizdelia Piñón, Ed.D., June-July 2024
Texas Emergent Bilingual Students Should Have Quality Programs and Certified Teachers – IDRA Testimony on SB 2497, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas Senate Education Committee, May 16, 2023
Expanding the Bilingual Certified Teacher Workforce Can Extend Secondary Dual Language Programs – IDRA Testimony for HB 3303, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 18, 2023 – See video
Texas Emergent Bilingual Students Should Have Quality Programs and Certified Teachers – IDRA Testimony on SB 2497, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas Senate Education Committee, April 12, 2023
Robust Program Monitoring and Training Strengthens Quality Bilingual Education in Texas Schools – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 2164, submitted by Lizdelia Piñón, Ed.D., to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 4, 2023
High School Pathways for Bilingual Education Teachers Meets State Educational and Workforce Goals – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 2168, submitted by Lizdelia Piñón, Ed.D., to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 4, 2023
Texas’ Forthcoming Bilingual Special Education Certificate Should Require Specific Skills for Teachers of Dually-identified Students, IDRA Testimony for the proposed Bilingual Special Education Educator Standards, submitted by Lizdelia Piñón, Ed.D., to the Texas State Board for Educator Certification February 10, 2023
Texas Must Build a Strong Bilingual Teacher Workforce – IDRA Testimony on interim charge regarding the teacher shortages in public schools, presented by Lizdelia Piñón, Ed.D., to the Texas House Public Education and Higher Education Committees, September 20, 2022 (Slidedeck) (Video)
HB 1744 Helps Address the Three-Decades-Long Teacher Shortage in Bilingual Education – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 1744, Presented by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 20, 2021
Texas Must Create a Statewide Plan for Improving Bilingual Education – IDRA Testimony for HB 2258, Presented by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 20, 2021
SB 2066 Makes a Simple Change for a Big Impact to Emergent Bilingual Students – IDRA Testimony for SB 2066, Presented by Araceli García to the Senate Education Committee, April 15, 2021
Texas Must Create a Statewide Plan for Improving Bilingual Education – IDRA Testimony for SB 560, Presented by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Senate Education Committee, April 12, 2021
Texas Bilingual Education Bills in 2021: Bilingual statewide flier.
- Texas Bilingual Education Bills and Student Quick Facts by Senate Education Member Districts
- Texas Bilingual Education Bills and Student Quick Facts by House Public Education Member Districts
Texas Early Childhood English Learner Initiative
Resources: Immigrant Students’ Rights to Attend Schools
Testimony on English learner funding
Testimony: Importance of Spending Guidance for English learner funds
Testimony: Texas Must Seize the Opportunity to Improve Education for English Learners
Acting on Research and Data
High Quality Bilingual Education Programs Need More Support to Realize State Goals, IDRA Issue Brief by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., May 23, 2022
Creating a More Bilingual Texas, report by IDRA and Every Texan, March 2021
Dual Language Funding Issue Brief
English Learner Funding Data Dashboard
Infographic/Resources: Welcoming Immigrant Students to Schools
Engaging Communities
TLEEC Letter to TX Governor re Supporting Immigrant Students
National Coalition letter re increasing Title III funds
Communicating Effectively
Infographic: Celebrating Emergent Bilingual Students
Web page: Emergent Bilingual Terminology
Op-ed: Not aiding DACA students merciless
