Blueprint for ELLs' Success

Below is a summary of the principles put forth by NYSED’s Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies (OBE-FLS) to ensure that all NYS students, including ELLs, attain the highest level of academic success and language proficiency. The principles serve as a statewide framework aimed to clarify expectations for administrators, policymakers, and practitioners to prepare ELLs for success, beginning in pre-kindergarten, to lay the foundation for college and career readiness.

All teachers are teachers of English Language Learners and need to plan accordingly.
All school boards and district/school leaders are responsible for ensuring that the academic, linguistic, social, and emotional needs of ELLs are addressed.
Districts and schools engage all ELLs in instruction that is grade appropriate, academically rigorous, and aligned with the NYS Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core and P- 12 Common Core Learning Standards.
Districts and schools recognize that bilingualism and biliteracy are assets, and provide opportunities for all students to earn a Seal of Biliteracy upon obtaining a high school diploma.
Districts and schools value all parents and families of ELLs as partners in education and effectively involve them in the education of their children.
District and school communities leverage the expertise of Bilingual, ESL, and Languages Other Than English (LOTE) teachers and support personnel while increasing their professional capacities.
Districts and school communities leverage ELLs’ home languages, cultural assets, and prior knowledge.
Districts and schools use diagnostic tools and formative assessment practices in order to measure ELLs’ content knowledge as well as new and home language development to inform instruction.

For more information, please read the Parents' Bill of Rights for ELLs/Multilingual Learners, which is available in 27 languages.

Parents' Bill of Rights for ELLs/Multilingual Learners (Spanish)