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The 2015 federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) affords states flexibility in adopting accountability measures that assess opportunity to learn, and requires that state and district leaders use evidence-based interventions to address any inequities. For English learners (ELs) at the secondary level, one important measure of opportunity to learn is access to and completion of rigorous, college preparatory coursework. Drawing from ESSA's definition of "evidence-based," which aligns closely with requirements for EL programs outlined by Castañeda, we propose course taking as a valid and reliable statewide indicator of student success, and offer recommendations for local interventions that would support secondary ELs' opportunity to learn.

Newcomer young men confront numerous obstacles that limit their chances for attainment and achievement. Using social and cultural capital frameworks and a case study methodology, this article examines how four Latino newcomer young men navigated an urban U.S. high school. It reveals how teachers and a counselor cultivated capital and how the young men leveraged this capital, thus challenging traditional depictions of Latino immigrant adolescents and highlighting the importance of belonging for these youth.

This article presents a set of recommendations that promote a more nuanced, meaningful accountability policy for English learners in the next authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The authors argue that the ESEA reauthorization must strengthen the law's capacity-building purpose so that federal, state, and local leaders support continued attention, direction, and innovation in effectively educating ELs. The recommendations put forth in this article focus on monitoring both current and former ELs, establishing time frames for the attainment of English language proficiency, and setting expectations for academic achievement that are reflective of English language proficiency level and time in the state's school system. (Contains 3 figures and 4 notes.)

In this article, the author offers suggestions for reconceptualizing the Teach for America (TFA) program. She recommends that TFA develop a residency training model with the following features: (1) Extend the program's current two-year commitment to three years; (2) Require first-year corps members to complete a residency year in an experienced teacher's classroom within their placement district and at (or near) their placement grade level; (3) Cluster TFA "residents" at high-performing urban schools; (4) Offer courses through a university partner for first-year corps members to obtain certification and a master's degree; and (5) Provide incentives to teach longer than three years.

The quality of the teacher in the classroom is the most important factor in raising student achievement, as Linda Darling-Hammond noted, and educators should offer their students nothing less than well-trained and well-supported teachers. Providing high-quality teachers is of particular importance in low-income communities of color, where the most underprepared teachers are consistently placed and where students continually underperform in comparison to their middle-class white counterparts. Ms. Darling-Hammond describes the detrimental outcomes of the present system, one that continues to fail its students. In this article, the author argues that with its current approach, Teach for America (TFA) is not patching the "hole in the bucket" of America's teaching supply. When almost one-third of new entrants to the teaching profession leave within three years and nearly half leave within five years, TFA's two-year approach may do little more than offer a temporary plug. The author believes that in order to maintain a teaching force, particularly in the nation's most underserved communities, and to ensure this force is of the highest quality, a "systemic solution'' must be put forward. Such a systemic solution includes recruiting, preparing, and retaining excellent teachers for all students. (Contains 14 endnotes.)

The 2015 federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) affords states flexibility in adopting accountability measures that assess opportunity to learn, and requires that state and district leaders use evidence-based interventions to address any inequities. For English learners (ELs) at the secondary level, one important measure of opportunity to learn is access to and completion of rigorous, college preparatory coursework. Drawing from ESSA's definition of "evidence-based," which aligns closely with requirements for EL programs outlined by Castaneda, we propose course taking as a valid and reliable statewide indicator of student success, and offer recommendations for local interventions that would support secondary ELs' opportunity to learn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]