A number of advocacy groups have called on President-elect Joe Biden’s education transition team to amend the requirements for the in-person WIDA Access exam for English Language Learners. The request comes due to the potential risks associated with such gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic. “No student should be forced to choose between their health and…
America-jin desuka? Nai, Africa-jin desu. Back in 2009, as I sat at a train station in Kobe, Japan, waiting for my train, a young boy aged about six traveling with his mother sat next to me and asked if I was American. I replied no, that I am African. He said I wasn’t African and…
As the United States has begun distributing the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against Covid-19, communities across the country have grappled with fairly and effectively administering the vaccine to vulnerable sectors of the population. For the Cherokee Nation in eastern Oklahoma, the Covid-19 vaccines aren’t merely a means of beating the virus. As the community works…
Many deaf and hard of hearing Americans have noticed an absence of American Sign Language interpreters at the White House’s regular COVID-19 press briefings throughout the coronavirus pandemic—that won’t be the case any longer, though. On November 13, an ASL interpreter signed at one of the White House’s COVID briefings for the first time ever,…
A new report based on 5.3 million assessments of student progress in grades 1-8 details the effects on learning associated with COVID-19 school disruptions. Released by Renaissance (a leader in pre-K–12 education technology) to end the speculation and provide guidance for educators as they address learning gaps, How Kids Are Performing: Tracking the Impact of…
A new study suggests that English speakers create more droplets in the air when they talk, which may make them more likely to spread COVID-19. The amount of droplets varies based on different languages due to the amount of aspirated consonants (like the letter p) within the language. While we know that COVID-19 is transmitted…
For the past decade, I have seen firsthand how students may benefit from certain elements of online education that help ensure a more effective learning environment. But, as my children’s schools closed in the wake of coronavirus, even I have struggled at times to make the transition to working mom and teacher of three teenagers…
U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Kamala Harris (D-CA) have introduced the Coronavirus Language Access Act, which expands access to coronavirus-related resources by increasing language access services and supporting culturally appropriate COVID-19 response programs to help those who have limited English proficiency (LEP), older Americans, and people…
The Centre for Education & Training (TCET) has announced a program to provide free English and French language assessments and referrals to training. TCET’s Language Assessment Services is funded in part by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada and by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Since 1992, TCET have assessed the language proficiency…
COVID-19 has created an unprecedented challenge for America’s K-12 schools. As policymakers and practitioners struggle to respond, they are weighing significant uncertainty and trade-offs that arise because of education, health, and budgetary concerns. The consensus is that students learned less during the spring’s school building closures, and the learning losses were especially great for students…