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Rutherford-Quach, Annie Camey Kuo, and Hsiaolin Hsieh  \nW  \nhen Shaeley Santiago began teaching in Perry, Iowa, nearly 20 years ago, the state’s school-age demographics were different than they are today. Atthe time, Iowa was nearly 93 percent white, with its student popula-  \ntion of more than 600,000 only slightly more diverse. Shaeleywasoneof a handful of educators in her district certified to teach emergent bilinguals, sometimes referred to as dual language learners (DLLs) or, when designated as such, English language learners (ELLs). She taught middle school language learners of all proficiencies in the morning and then taught newly arrived immigrants in middle and high school during the afternoon.  \nSara Rutherford-Quach is the director of academic programs and research for Understanding Language at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Annie Camey Kuo is the director of research-practice partnerships at Understanding Language. Hsiaolin Hsieh is a PhD student atthe Stanford Graduate School of Education.  \nShaeley enjoyed her job and treasured her students. But she often felt isolated from her colleagues. The students, particularly the newcomers in their self-contained program, were also segregated from the larger student community. Although the schooling of the district’s middle and high school students was deemed the responsibility of the educator collective, the education of emergent bilinguals was often thought of as solely the concern ofELL educators. This was the norm not only in Perry or even just Iowa, but across the country.  \nToday, the linguistic and ethnic diversity of Iowa’s school-age population has more than tripled. The biggest demographic shifts have occurred not only in metro areas but also in smaller manufacturing communities. For example, in 2000, ELLs made up slightly more than 1 percent of the preK–12 student population of the Denison Community School District, located a little more than one hour from Perry. Today, ELLs are nearly 60 percent of the Denison population. The percentage in Perry itself, where Shaeley began teaching, grew from 11.5 percent in 2000 to 24 percent in 2016.1 Similar demographic shifts have occurred statewide and, indeed, nationwide.  \nILLUSTRATIONS BY AMY DARL ING, PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY  \nAMERICAN EDUCATOR | FALL 2018 27  \nEducat ing ELLs  \nLanguage learners and immigrants should not be conflated; these groups are related but distinct. While emergent bilinguals are often the children of immigrants, most are born in this country and are U.S. citizens.2 Research shows their bicultural and bilingual experiences provide them with a unique global perspective and an increased cognitive flexibility.* Thus, the inclusion of emergent bilinguals can diversify and deepen learning experiences for an entire school. Moreover, ensuring that ELLs have access to challenging academic content and the instructional supports they need isin the best interest of all who believe that an educated citizenry is vital to a functioning democracy.†  \nAmid all these changes, Shaeley’s dedication to ELLs has remained steadfast. She now works in a larger district, the Ames Community School District, and is an instructional coach and teacher on special assignment. She is also an instructor at Drake University, teaching a course for both pre-and in-service teacherson meeting the needsofELLs. These roles have given her a unique perspective. She can observe patterns in current classroom instruction and in teacher learning, not only inAmes, but across the state. And she can see how the role of language in content-area learning has been amplified with the advent of the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. Although Iowa’s growing population of emergent bilinguals has brought with it enormous academic, linguistic, and civic potential that could enrich the state’s schoo","cbCailWJR7wW2QHd","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailWJR7wW2QHd","pdf",358618,"English","# Educat ing ELLs\n## Language learners and immigrants should not be conflated\n## Understanding Language\n## Educator training gaps and the need to reconfigure language roles","[{\"question\":\"What is the article’s main focus regarding ELL education?\",\"answer\":\"The article focuses on how online professional development and better training can help educators support emergent bilinguals and ensure rigorous access to content-area learning.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the article distinguish language learners from immigrants?\",\"answer\":\"It explains that emergent bilinguals are related to immigrants but are distinct, often being U.S. citizens and bringing bicultural and bilingual experiences that can enhance learning.\"},{\"question\":\"What problem does the article identify for teachers of ELLs?\",\"answer\":\"It describes a gap in educators’ access to adequate training opportunities, resources, and models needed to adjust instructional practices so language supports rigorous learning.\"}]","Understanding Their Language - Online Professional Development for Teachers of ELLs | PDF",1792070113,15]