Policy and Practice Brief 5: English Learners and High School Graduation: Beyond the Four Year Pathway

An ever-present concern among high schools is student graduation. The pressure is on to graduate students within the typical four-year time frame it takes to complete requirements. While most students graduate in four years, they are not required to do so. This policy and practice brief provides research and resources related to this topic

Policy and Practice Brief 7: Special Considerations for ACCESS Testing During COVID-19

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person instruction in Virginia public schools was suspended in March 2020 for the remainder of the school year. In 2020-2021, Virginia schools offered an evolving range of virtual, hybrid, concurrent, and face-to-face instruction. Despite the challenges of schooling during the pandemic, federal high-stakes testing mandates remained in place in 2020-2021, and all students identified as English learners (ELs) were still required to take the annual assessment of English language proficiency (ELP), the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs©. Since this test cannot be administered remotely, ELs participating in virtual schooling were expected to return to school buildings solely to take the test, despite serious concerns for safety and test validity being raised by several educational and civil rights organizations. This mini-brief explains these concerns, and offers recommendations for schools confronting the challenges of administering the test and interpreting test results during the pandemic

Policy and Practice Brief 6: Considerations for Using ACCESS Test Scores in Decision-Making

Since the implementation of The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), all students identified as English learners (ELs) in U.S. public schools have been required to take an annual assessment of English language proficiency (ELP) for federal accountability. Virginia and many other state education agencies (SEAs) use the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs© test (ACCESS), not only to comply with this mandate, but also to inform a variety of high-stakes decisions for EL instruction, such as determining when multilingual learners have reached English proficiency, deciding about Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) entry and exit, informing classroom instruction and assessment, monitoring year-to-year student progress, deciding on staffing levels, and evaluating teachers. Despite the test’s long history, widespread adoption, multiple uses, and costs, few independent evaluations of the test have been conducted; however, study of Virginia EL teachers raised questions about the reliability of ACCESS and the validity of decisions based on the test scores. In light of these questions, considerations and recommendations for the administration of ACCESS and use of scores in high-stakes decision-making are presented

Policy and Practice Brief 2: English Learners Are a Priority During COVID-19

English learners (ELs) are disproportionately impacted by the health and economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. These students often traverse virtual learning with fewer resources, limited access, additional responsibilities, and increased needs. In addition to this, they represent a significant percentage of the student population in school divisions across the Commonwealth. This policy and practice brief provides additional research and resources on this topic

Policy and Practice Brief 3: Dual Language Programs Are Growing Across Virginia

The number of dual language (DL) programs has increased in response to a growing number of English learners (ELs) in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia Dual Language Educators Network (VADLEN) is committed to supporting the growth of DL programs in the state. This policy and practice brief provides research and resources on this topic

Policy and Practice Brief 1: Virginia Is Not an English-Only Instruction State

Virginia is not an English-only state for PreK-12 instruction. Although English is the official language of Virginia (as stated in the Code of Virginia), no state or federal policies require English as the only language for PreK-12 public education. Having English designated as the official language of Virginia does not prohibit the use of other languages in instruction. This policy brief provides further details and resources related to this topic

Policy and Practice Brief 4: The Obligation of Schools to Provide Information to Multilingual Families in a Language They Can Understand

Research shows that strong relationships between families and schools are key to student success. By providing information and communication in languages and formats that multilingual parents and guardians can access and understand, schools can strengthen relationships with these families. This policy and practice brief provides research and resources on this topic

Supporting Student Mental Health During and After COVID-19

This report by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) in the VCU School of Education offers a rapid review of research about supporting student mental health as they return to school during COVID-19. It pulls from literature on natural disasters like hurricane Katrina, the psychological impacts of quarantine, and emergent research on the mental health impacts of the Coronavirus. The report is structured to answer three overarching questions: 1) Why is it important to address the mental health needs of students in schools? 2) How can we expect COVID-19 to impact the mental health of students? 3) What are some practical strategies for addressing the mental health needs of students and personnel as they return to school? Links to relevant resources for educators are provided throughout the report