This recorded webinar is the third of our online webinar series, Where the Evidence Leads: Preliminary Findings From IES-Funded English Learner Research Studies, hosted by the National Research & Development Center to Improve Education for Secondary English Learners at WestEd.
In this webinar archive, Ilana Umansky and Karen Thompson shared findings about core course access for secondary students classified as English Learners (ELs) in Oregon and Michigan.
They discussed patterns evident from data analysis across several states (for example, to what extent do English Learners have access to core content courses from grades 9–12?) and how malleable levers in states are associated with the expanded course access that students should receive in order to succeed.
Speakers
Ilana Umansky
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Umansky serves as the Co-Principal Investigator on the Coursetaking study. She is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Oregon. Her work explores how education policy impacts the educational opportunities and outcomes of immigrant, multilingual, and English Learner-classified students using large-scale data and longitudinal and quasi-experimental methods. She often works in research-practice partnerships with states and districts to advance equitable school systems for immigrant and multilingual students. Dr. Umansky holds a PhD from Stanford University.
Karen Thompson
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Thompson serves as the Co-Principal Investigator on the Coursetaking study. She is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at Oregon State University and has extensive experience partnering with education agencies to analyze longitudinal data that affect EL policy and practice. Since 2014, she has led an EL-focused research-practice partnership with the Oregon Department of Education, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences and the Spencer Foundation. She has conducted research about secondary math coursetaking for students who were currently, formerly, or never English Learners in seven California districts. Dr. Thompson holds a PhD from Stanford University.
About the Center
Since 2020, the National Research & Development Center to Improve Education for Secondary English Learners has sought to significantly advance the capacity of educators, policymakers, and researchers to serve students who are classified in school as English Learners by bridging research and practice bidirectionally.
Funded by a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences, the Center consists of a world-class research team from WestEd; the University of Oregon; Oregon State University; and the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The Center seeks to (a) identify and describe the systemic barriers that prevent secondary English Learner students from successfully accessing the general curriculum and (b) develop and test innovative, educative curriculum materials that enable these students to reach their full potential in community, college, and career.
More Related to this Resource
Resources
Browse our high-quality publications and resources designed to inform and engage professionals in a variety of fields including K–12 education, early childhood, and health and justice.
