Crossing the Language Divide to

College Readiness

Crossing the Language Divide to College

Readiness

Does the barbed wire end at the border, or does it extend to our students’ desks? What does this mean for English Language Learners and their families?

Crossing the Language Divide to College

Readiness

•Examine the unexpected issues and barriers ELL students and their families face

•Learn best practices to engage ELL communities

•Discuss acceleration and asset-focused instructionthat put ELL students on a more successful path to college graduation

Barriers to Higher Education

Teacher and school perceptions

Family fears/lack of resources

The peer group

Lack of academic preparation

“The Hidden Curriculum”

Increased competition for college spaces

Focus Areas for Student Success

• Provide equal access to all students

• Develop organizational skills

• Instill student success skills

• Inspire belief in academic rigor and success

• Create a smoother transition across the feeder pattern and into higher education

We Must Transform…

Individuals: teachers, administrators, and

students.

Campuses: leadership, systems, instruction,

and culture.

Communities: One student, impacted by

education, can create a positive ripple effect

throughout their family and community,

changing the course of their lives.

Meet The Panel: Eddy Diaz

“Undocumented students often hit a robust wall of reality. Many of them give up in the middle of the battle.”

For more on Eddy, check out this interview and his recent speech.

Meet the Panel: Magaly Solis

“I’m the first in my immediate family to graduate from high school and the first member of my family to go to college.”

For more on Magaly, read this interview on her experiences as a member of an immigrant family.

Meet the Panel: Sacha Bennett

“I find happiness in watching my ELL students grow as scholars as they persevere through challenging situations – whether it is encountering rigorous text from a content class, self-advocating in difficult conversations with peers or adults, or developing their leadership skills as they navigate their way through school and in the community.”