North Carolina: ELL Resources
As of the 2012-13 school year, North Carolina's schools were home to more than 102,000 English language learners (ELLs), which marks a 71% increase from the 2002-2003 school year (Migration Policy Institute, 2015). Currently, the most common five languages spoken by ELLs in North Carolina are Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Hmong.
North Carolina is a member of WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment), joining in 2008. WIDA is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners which offers states programming for identifying and annually assessing the English language development of its English learners.
State ELL Resources
State Agency: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Guidance on identifying ELLs is available in the following guides:
Home Language Survey: North Carolina offers information about the ways in which a Home Language Survey should be used to identify ELLs, as well as a sample Home Language Survey on its website.
Placement Exam: WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test
ELP Standards & Assessment
ELP Standards: WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards
ELP Assessment: WIDA-ACCESS ACCESS for ELLs
Information about North Carolina's ELL instructional programs can be found in the following:
Statewide Standards-Based Assessment
Assessment: North Carolina Testing Program
ELL Accommodations: Testing Accommodations and LEP Students
NCELA: Title III Information
Common Core State Standards: Yes
Carolina TESOL is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to improve the quality of education for English language learners in North and South Carolina and to promote effective intercultural communication and understanding.
This website from the UNC School of Education offers an effective example of a statewide database of field trip ideas. The site offers a guide to local educational resources throughout North Carolina for field trips, classroom use, and student research, as well as related lesson plans and websites to help teachers integrate the experience into classroom teaching.
North Carolina Association of Educators is a National Education Association State Affiliate that regularly lobbies legislators for the resources schools need, campaigns for higher professional standards for the teaching profession, and files legal actions to protect academic freedom and the rights of school employees.
"The North Carolina State PIRC provides information, skills and supports necessary for families and schools to work together to improve academic performance."
The Pakistani American Anjuman is a non-political, non-sectarian, cultural, and social organization that strives to promote the presence of the people from Pakistan living in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Our mission is to provide cultural and social interaction for the families and individuals of the Pakistani community and to offer a variety of programs and services to its members.
Ruiz Soto, Ariel G., Sarah Hooker, and Jeanne Batalova. 2015. States and Districts with the Highest Number and Share of English Language Learners. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/states-and-districts-highest-number-and-share-english-language-learners
Ruiz Soto, Ariel G., Sarah Hooker, and Jeanne Batalova. 2015. Top Languages Spoken by English Language Learners Nationally and by State. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/number-and-growth-students-us-schools-need-english-instruction-2009
Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students. North Carolina Rate of EL Growth (1997/98-2007/08). Compiled July 2010 and retrieved from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/t3sis/state/northcarolina/.
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