Resources for Educating MLs Online

Response to COVID-19 Pandemic: Resources for Educating English Learners Online

COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus has shuttered schools across the nation and forced the education of students to move to an online or virtual medium. Many school systems are not prepared to move their entire educational curriculum to a virtual or online platform, especially when educating English learners (ELs) is added to the mix. A recent Education Week article about ELs and remote learning and another from USA Today outline some of the concerns and lack of preparedness with regards to our educational systems to handle educating ELs at a time like this. NAELPA, the National Association of English Learner Program Administrators, has as part of its mission, to provide resources to educators working with ELs. This webpage is a collection of resources that the NAELPA Executive Board and other members have collected. The list of resources below will be continually updated to provide links to additional resources as they become available.

Links to Available Resources

The following resources are provided for the benefit of educators of ELs. Some resources included in this list are provided by educational vendors and service providers. Inclusion of resources provided by education vendors and service provides in no way equates to an endorsement of these companies nor the products they provide.

Links to resources and information regarding educating ELs online

NAELPA White Paper - Using ESSER, ESSER II, and ESSER III Funds to Support ML Education

Information from State Education Agencies and the U.S. Department of Education (USED) regarding educating students online:

MIT - Guidance for State Leaders and Educators - COVID-19

Colorado - Remote Learning Resources

Connecticut - List of resources compiled by CT Regional Education Service Centers

Illinois State Board of Education - Remote Learning Recommendations During COVID-19 Emergency (has section related to multilingual education starting on page 21)

Massachusetts - COVID-19 Information and Resources (includes links to EL identification and placement guidance, remote learning guidance, and more)

North Carolina - Resources for ELs during remote learning

EDNC article with resources listed

Virginia - Resources for Teaching ELs Online

NAELPA is sharing important guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (USED) as a reminder that when guidance is provided for all students, multilingual learners are part of that group, and when specific guidance is provided for certain subgroups, like students with disabilities, multilingual learners who are also identified as students with disabilities are entitled to, and should receive, supports for both their linguistic and special education needs.

USED - COVID-19 Handbook Volume 1

USED - COVID-19 Handbook Volume 2

USED - English Learner Factsheet 5-18-2020

USED - English Learner Factsheet Addendum 1-18-2-21

USED Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide

USED - OELA - Webinar recording - Engaging English Learner Communities and Families Through Distance Learning

USED - COVID-19 ("Coronavirus") Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel

USED - OCR: Fact Sheet: Addressing the Needs of COVID-19 in Schools While Protecting the Civil Rights of Students (Special Education Focus)

USED - OCR and OSERS: Supplemental Fact Sheet: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary, and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities

USED - Questions and Answers on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak

USED - Student Privacy Office: FERPA and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) FAQ March 2020

USED - Student Privacy Office webinar: FERPA and Virtual Learning During COVID-19