April 2009

In This Issue

The National High School Center would like to share our latest suite of products and upcoming Webinar that features best practices and strategies for English language learners (ELLs).

Suite of Products Released Detailing Strategies to Help English Language Learners

The relatively high dropout rates and persistent achievement gaps among the growing population of ELLs in U.S. high schools make it imperative to share research-based approaches and promising practices that have been effective in increasing educational outcomes for all students. To shed light on the most effective practices and strategies supporting the academic growth of ELLs at the high school level, the National High School Center, in collaboration with its partner, WestEd, has released a suite of three unique products:

	Educating English Language Learners at the High School Level: A Coherent Approach to District- and School-Level Support This practitioner issue brief outlines successful strategies and recommendations for state-level policymakers, administrators, schools, and districts that are based on a 5-year evaluation study on the learning environment for ELLs in the state of California. It offers four critical building blocks that should be in place to effectively educate ELLs: - implementing a well-defined, rigorously structured plan of instruction; - ensuring that teachers are skilled in addressing the needs of ELLs; - systematically using data to assess teaching and learning; and - regularly adjusting instructional planning based on student performance.
	High School Course-Taking Patterns for English Language Learners: A Case Study from California This research brief examines the course-taking patterns of ELLs based on the transcript data from 54 high schools in California. Alarming findings from the brief state that approximately 8% of ELLs in the study sample who finished high school had taken the necessary set of required courses to be minimally eligible to attend college in the California State University system.
	Selected States' Responses to Supporting High School English Language Learners This policy brief provides state-level examples of efforts to improve the assessment and reporting of data. It also showcases effective partnerships between state departments and the Regional Comprehensive Centers in strengthening educational outcomes for ELLs at the secondary school level.

National High School Center Hosts Webinar, "Effectively Educating English Language Learners at the High School Level: What Research and Practice Tell Us"

The National High School Center will present a Webinar on the latest research and best practices for educating ELLs at the high school level on Thursday, May 14, 2009, from 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT (11:00am - 12:15pm PDT). Click here for more information and to register for this event.

The Webinar seeks:

• to build awareness for the current body of research on educating ELLs at the high school level;
• to discuss best practices from a practitioner's perspective;
• to explore how effective practices can be integrated to inform district, state, and national policies; and
• to highlight the National High School Center's suite of products on English language learners.

Featured presenters include:

• Ana Diaz-Booz, Principal, School of International Business (San Diego, CA), 2009 California Distinguished High School
• Neal Finkelstein, Senior Research Scientist, WestEd
• Libia S. Gil, Senior Advisor, National High School Center, and Senior Research Fellow, American Institutes for Research
• Becky Powell, Director of Outreach, National High School Center (facilitator)

Upcoming Conferences

The National High School Center wants to keep you informed of upcoming conferences and events pertinent to your work. The High School Events Calendar on our Web site lists national conferences, workshops, and dialogues sponsored by organizations around the country focused on high school improvement. If you are sponsoring a high school-related event, we encourage you to submit the event for posting on the Calendar through the online form on our Web site.

About Us

The National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), in collaboration with its partners, strives to provide the most up-to-date, accessible information on breakthroughs in high school improvement, vetted best practices, hands on technical assistance to the Regional Comprehensive Centers, and an easy-to-use navigation of the latest research on creating and maintaining excellent high schools. The National High School Center does not endorse any interventions nor does it conduct field studies. The National High School Center Web site is available at www.betterhighschools.org.

The National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research in collaboration with
Learning Point Associates, MDRC, the National Center for Educational Achievement and WestEd.
1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW | Washington, DC, 20007 | Phone: 1-800-634-0503 | Fax: 202-403-5875
TTY: 1-800-634-0752
Email:helpfor@betterhighschools.org | www.betterhighschools.org