National Association of English Learner Program Administrators
  • The NAELPA serves as the voice for ELs, representing SEAs and LEAs across the United States.

    We are small enough to hear individual voices, yet powerful enough to be heard as a whole.
  • Membership in NAELPA is open to both State and Local educators working in EL programs

    We are small enough to hear individual voices, yet powerful enough to be heard as a whole.
  • Join us at our National Conference

    The National Association of English Learner Program Administrators hosts a conference annually to bring together educators working with English Learners (ELs), especially those that administer EL programs, to provide opportunities for professional learning and networking.
  • Network with others working in EL Programs

    Engage with others working in EL programs through webinars, committee involvement and our National Conference.

The National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA) has the focus of providing networking and professional learning opportunities for Multilingual Learner (ML) program administrators and others working in ML programs at the state and local (district) level.

Upcoming and Recent Events & Information!

NAELPA Quarterly Webinar

NAELPA's 2nd Quarter Webinar

NAELPA and Instructions Partners are proud to present Dr. Jessica Costa, Director of Multilingual Learner Support, presenting for NAELPA's Q2 Webinar. Dr. Costa will be presenting on:

 "Supporting Multilingual Learners During Foundational Reading Skills Instruction"


Join us on April 27th at 4:00 pm ET (1:00 pm PT, 2:00 pm MT, 3:00 pm CT)

NAELPA Position Statement Regarding Dual Language Learners Now Available

The National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA) has written this position statement to identify needs for Dual Language Learners (DLLs) and highlight areas for growth in the services and supports provided for this growing group of children. The term DLL includes young children from homes where a language other than English is spoken. While DLL can include children ages 0 to 8, the NAELPA position statement focuses on DLLs enrolled in public pre-Kindergarten programs. For more information and to access the position statement, please visit the Committees Webpage.

Newcomer Letter from USED

NAELPA participated in a convening of multiple organizations and individuals related to the needs of newcomer students. One of the results of the convening was a letter that was drafted and sent to the U.S. Department of Education (USED) on August 31, 2022 and a response from USED received on October 21, 2022. Check out the letter on NAELPA's Resources for Newcomer Multilingual Learners webpage.

Check Out the NAELPA Networking Coffee Chats

The NAELPA Membership Committee has launched a networking opportunity for NAELPA members called Networking Coffee Chats. NAELPA members can access these monthly NAELPA Networking Coffee Chats through their NAELPA Connect Space membership accounts. Coffee Chats are currently paused for the Summer but will resume in the fall. Stay tuned.

NAELPA Statement on Support for Assets-Based Terminology

It is important to NAELPA to use asset-based terminology when referring to our work and the population of students we serve. We acknowledge that the current name of this organization, The National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA), uses English Learner (EL), which is considered deficit based. With current federal legislation using English Learners (ELs) to identify this population the NAELPA board will continue with this usage for clarity purposes in the short term. The term NAELPA prefers is Multilingual Learner (ML), which the organization views as a more asset-based term. NAELPA will take an active role in advocating for the wider use of assets-based nomenclature and helping to make it more standardized in our field and beyond.

For a more detailed description, check out the full NAELPA Asset-Based Terminology statement.

Check Out the NAELPA Resources Page

NAELPA is committed to providing resources that are helpful to educators of multilingual learners. NAELPA has created a Resources For Educating MLs Online which provides links to resources on a separate page under the Resources page of this website. The NAELPA Executive Board and membership are committed to doing all we can to assist in the education of MLs during this unprecedented time in the history of education in our country. With that in mind, we have also written a short white paper to help educators understand the Coronavirus relief funding for education, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. With nearly $200 billion in funding, this white paper is helpful for educators to know how these funds can be used to support the education of MLs. For more information, read the white paper on Using ESSER, ESSER II, and ESSER III Funds to Support ML Education


UCLA/CRESST Sponsored Resource

ASSETS: The Podcast

Episode: Addressing the Critical Third Pillar in Dual Language Education: Sociocultural Competence

Guest: Lisa Tabaku


This month on ASSETS, Dr. Lawrence discusses sociocultural competence with Lisa Tabaku. Lisa is the Director of Dual Language and Multilingual Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics. Previously, she served as the Director of Civil Rights and Multicultural Affairs, Executive Director of the Office of Bilingual Education, Assistant Principal of a Spanish-English dual language school, National Professional Development grants coordinator, and bilingual and ESL teacher. Follow along as Dr. Lawrence and Lisa address the critical third pillar in Dual Language Education.

NAELPA Committees

Advocating for MLs

The NAELPA assists and supports State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) by providing educational activities and information that help SEAs and LEAs guide MLs to success.

Communication

The NAELPA organizes and hosts, and develops meetings, webinars, email communications, and other messages to disseminate information important to ML program administrators. Read about it in our Newsletter.

Professional Learning

The NAELPA provides training and up-to-date information for SEAs and LEAs through webinars and national conference presentations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of ML educators.

Standards, Assessment, and Policy

The NAELPA reviews updates, research and new information on standards and assessment through this committee.  The committee also updates members on the English Language Proficiency Assessment peer review process and outcomes.

Membership 

Membership in the NAELPA is key to maintaining a healthy organization. The membership committee is organized to assist the membership coordinator, communicate to members, and encourage others to join.


Up-to-date information about NAELPA can be found in our quarterly newsletter

Click here to access our newsletters