The New America Foundation recently released a report that highlights the work of the ODE/OSU ELL Partnership. This report describes how Oregon passed and implemented new legislation to identify and support districts who may not be effectively meeting the needs of their English learner students.

Partnership researchers Dr. Karen Thompson and Dr. Ilana Umansky both served on the state ELL Advisory Committee, which drafted the criteria for identifying districts and a framework to guide the technical assistance process. The criteria for identifying districts include multiple metrics using the Ever EL category, which includes both current and former English learners. For example, districts’ Ever EL graduation rates and Ever EL postsecondary enrollment rates are both factors considered in the identification process.

Understanding outcomes for the full group of students who entered school as ELs has been a central goal of our partnership, and the implementation of this legislation marks a milestone in the longstanding effort to improve accountability systems for English learners.