Summer vacation may have begun, but ELL there is no shortage of important news around English Language Learners!

In this edition of What We're Reading - refugee valedictorian stories, education and the migrant crisis, plenty of free resources, and much more.

To get this news delivered to your inbox every other week, join the ELL Community. Share the articles below with your Professional Learning Network using the hashtag #ELLReads!

ELL Spotlight

• From the Journal Sentinel in Milwaukee, a refugee from Malaysia just graduated as the valedictorian of her class and earned a scholarship to pursue higher education.

• In another refugee valedictorian story from The Dallas Morning News, Conrad High School graduate Albana Gllareva saw the opportunities that a US education provided and took full advantage.

• Three students from Medford High School in Massachusetts won the KIND Schools Challenge for their project, ELL Give Back, which helps ELLs navigate high school in the US for the first time.

• In an article featured in The 74, high school ELL student and immigrant Oluseyi Olaose writes about how speech and debate helped her embrace her voice and regain her identity.

• In East Los Angeles, Excelencia Charter School Founder Ruben Alonzo is busy working to make their first year a success for a diverse group of students. Check out our interview with Ruben on the Highest Aspirations podcast.

Policy and Practice

• Education Week released a timely article detailing 6 things to know about educating migrant children in shelters.

• The 74 reports that students from multilingual homes have substantially closed the gap with native English speakers in reading and math on NAEP since 2003.

• Education Week's Corey Mitchell analyzes the potential impact (or lack thereof) of Betsy DeVos dismantling of the federal office that supports ELLs. 

• New America provides analysis and key takeaways from a Migration Policy Institute report that makes recommendations for policy changes in response to "superdiverse" dual language learners.

• Education Week reports that teachers are speaking out and joining nationwide protests against separating parents from children at the border.

• From The 74, Mario Koran reports on the effect of 'Zero Tolerance' enforcement of visa programs on foreign born teachers filling important positions in US schools.

Teaching and Learning

• There are a wide variety of free resources for ELL educators available from this weekend's VirtuEL conference, including a keynote session by SIOP founding researcher Jana Echevarria.

• In a timely piece from The Hechninger Report, Jennifer Rich highlights the importance of having difficult conversations with students about the migrant crisis.

• In an article from Multibriefs, ELL educational consultant Erick Hermann emphasizes the importance of self-reflection when teaching English Language Learners, particularly as we leave school for the summer.

• NPR's Ari Shapiro interviews Brigitte Alepin, the creator of "Radio Dodo", a program that created bedtime stories for Syrian refugees.

• A study from Stanford Center for Education finds that general education teachers can develop useful ELL-specific instructional skills that improve outcomes for ELLs.

• The University of Arkansas has partnered with Bayyari Elementary School in Springdale to create an ESL science camp that focuses on gardening to provide students with powerful, hands-on learning experiences.

• New America Public Policy Fellow Jenny Muñiz discusses the potential of micro-credentials to develop culturally responsive educators. For more, check out our podcast episode on cultural responsiveness.

What are you reading? Leave a comment below and share on social media using the hashtag #ELLReads!

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