Education and English Language Learners

Legal and Ethical Issues AED/204 6/05/13

Educators are trying to find different and new ways to help English Language Learners succeed in their education. However they have come across many different legal and ethical conflicts that make it harder for educators to do their job in helping these learners succeed. Educators try to find ways that they can still help English Language Learners succeed without breaking the laws. As a teacher it is your job to make sure that all of the students get an equal education given the same and fair chance at education. While laws sometimes make is hard to do this and prevent some educators for doing what they feel they should do to make sure that their students get a fair and equal education and succeed.

Schools today are being pushed to find as many ways that they can to help their English Learners become successful. Many states have taken away from the bilingual programs and have forced the children to learn English. It is true that this may be an English speaking country, but we cannot take a young child’s education away. All around the country their has been an increase in English language learners, which is forcing the schools to help these students succeed and grow to make sure that they are keeping their numbers up. The schools and the educators must make sure with this increase that they are following the EEOC and Title VI (Varghese, 2004), the EEOC say that educators must protect their students and help them in all ways. While the Title Vi is a Civil Rights Act that informs the schools that they are responsible for any student no matter their different needs and they can not deny anyone. So this sometimes makes it hard for educators to teach all students with the new laws that come in effect.

Educators are doing their best to find as many ways that they can to support the English language learners that are legal. Some example of these ways are making sure that every one of these English language learners are provided with Prevention and early intervention service, teachers also use instruments that are appropriate for ones level and identify all instructions needed for both native and English language, teacher also use a lot of visual aides to help these students (legal and Ethical Provision, Para). Another thing is that highly qualified bilingual evaluators assess Ell’s. According to Maria de Lourdes Serpa (2005), we must follow certain steps to make sure we are able to meet the needs of all ELLS and these steps are look at services that are available, referral process, then “assessments conducted by qualified bilingual evaluators”, gather together a team of multidisciplinary experts, and then one must determine a proper IEP. After all of these steps have been taken then the educator can ensure that the students can learn more efficiently and legally.

There is a program that can make sure all educators are able to teach Ell’s without breaking any laws and help all teachers teach effectively. This program is known as the Training All Teachers Project this program innovates the curricular enhancements for pre and in service educators (MESKIL, 2005). The main reason for this program is to provide training to the teachers to help Ell’s succeed. This program has both the educators and the ELL students working closely together, to ensure the greatest success of the students.

There are several different resources and concepts that teachers can use to allow them to help English language learners learn in a way that will not break any laws that have been put into affect. As a teacher you always put the success of your students success first no matter the language barriers. Your goal as a teacher is to do your best for your students to be in a fair and safe environment for learning. There has been an increase in Ell’s and they are striving more today than they ever have because of the proper education, following laws, and being ethically right.

References Maria de Lourdes Serpa. (2005). ELL assessment for linguistic differences vs. learning Retrieved from http://www.ldldproject.net/legal.html
MESKIL, C. ((2005)). Wilson Web. The H.W. Wilson Company. Retrieved from http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cehd/teri/infusing%20ELL%20issues%20throughout%20prof%20educat Varghese, M. M. (2004). New horizons for learners. Office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

References: Maria de Lourdes Serpa. (2005). ELL assessment for linguistic differences vs. learning Retrieved from http://www.ldldproject.net/legal.html MESKIL, C. ((2005)). Wilson Web.  The H.W. Wilson Company. Retrieved from http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cehd/teri/infusing%20ELL%20issues%20throughout%20prof%20educat Varghese, M. M. (2004). New horizons for learners. Office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction.