The U.S. Department of Education has developed a new, online data tool that will provide educators and stakeholders with a wealth of information specific to English learner (EL) students and their academic needs. The data was compiled from and can be found in the Department's Civil Rights Data Collection. A demonstration of the new tool, followed by a question-and-answer session, will take place on Monday, Feb. 23, at the Jack and Janet Perry Professional Development Center in Springdale, Arkansas.
Representatives from the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (WHIEEH), the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI), and the Department's Office for Civil Rights will present and demonstrate how to use the tool. Springdale Public Schools Superintendent Jim Rollins also will be on hand for the demonstration. The event is hosted by Springdale Public Schools and the Cisneros Center for New Americans.
Alejandra Ceja, executive director of WHIEEH, who will attend the demonstration and give brief remarks, said, "As part of our 25th anniversary year of action, the Initiative is emphasizing Administration priorities, resources and tools that benefit Latino and other communities. In that spirit, this new online tool on English learner students will equip school leaders and communities with the information they need to focus on providing the support where it is most needed, and can be most helpful for success."
"With one in three Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders having limited English proficiency, tools such as this are critical for connecting our underserved communities to important federal resources and information," said Kiran Ahuja, executive director of WHIAAPI.
The tool provides users with data snapshots of ELs across schools and districts, including:
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- Enrollment data points
- Instructional program information
- College and career ready data
- Access to advanced classes and test taking
- Discipline information
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The Obama Administration's commitment to equity in education underlies nearly every significant activity of the Education Department. To maintain and accelerate students' progress, the Administration is calling for an overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act—also known as No Child Left Behind—with a law that not only ensures students are prepared for college, careers and life, but also delivers on the promise of equity and real opportunity for every child. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has called on Congress to create a bipartisan law that gives teachers and principals the resources they need, expands high-quality preschool for families and supports schools and districts in creating innovative new solutions to problems that translate into better outcomes for students.