How Educational Service Agencies Can Support English Learners

By 

Jared Kubokawa

A mounting challenge in the American educational system is how to effectively serve the growing and changing population of students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. With numbers continuing to rise, the National Center for Education Statistics (2022) reported that more than one in ten students (10.4%) is an English learner (EL) (2022), also referred to as multilingual learners (MLs). Resettlement areas are changing as well. Traditionally, southern border states and states with large metropolitan areas have welcomed most new Americans; however, increasingly, migrant families are relocating for long-term residency and/or citizenship to other parts of the U.S., such as suburban and rural areas (Abera Molla, 2023). Moreover, historically, most immigration to the U.S. originated from Western Europe, Asia, and Central and South America; however, as stronger “push” factors arise, such as military conflict and unstable political infrastructures, more and more migrant families are arriving via government-sponsored humanitarian visas from the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Central Africa (Krogstad & Gonzalez-Barrera, 2019, 2022). With them, these newest Americans bring new languages and new cultures to U.S. classrooms, especially in suburban and rural areas not usually accustomed to high levels of linguistic and cultural diversity. While changing student demographics in the U.S reflect broader trends of globalization and migration, the influx of linguistic and cultural diversity presents both challenges and opportunities for educators. Through a variety of targeted services and initiatives, educational service agencies (ESAs) are uniquely positioned to support school districts, their ML populations, and the teachers who serve them. 

The Role of ESAs in Supporting MLs, Families, School Districts, and Teachers 

Increasingly, through diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives, ELs are being described as MLs, or multilingual learners, as a representative shift towards valuing the diverse linguistic backgrounds of students, which fosters a more inclusive and supportive educational environment. Henceforth, this article will refer to this population of students as multilingual learners (MLs). ESAs are well-positioned to provide essential services and information that can significantly benefit MLs, their families, the school districts they attend, and the teachers they work with. While support from ESAs is largely indirect, there is much that can be immediately accomplished to improve outcomes for MLs. My research and experience has led me to the following list, which can serve as an actual roadmap for ESAs to begin or enhance services in this area.  

Seven Ways Educational Service Agencies Can Support English Learners 

1. Provide guidance to districts on legal responsibilities and assistance in acquiring interpretation and translation services. 
2. Support equitable evaluations for MLs who may have special needs. 
3. Promote multilingualism in early childhood and in early elementary learners. 
4. Support MLs and families through specialized ESA programs. 
5. Hire a language consultant/instructional coach and provide alternative routes to ESL teacher licensure. 
6. Provide professional development to teachers, instructional coaches, counselors, and administrators around supporting MLs and their families. 
7. Bolster DEIB by supporting linguistic diversity and culturally responsive pedagogies. 

1. Provide guidance to districts on legal responsibilities and assistance in acquiring interpretation and translation services.

A critical service for MLs and their families is the provision of interpretation and translation services, which facilitate effective communication between schools and parents/caregivers with limited English proficiency. Translation is defined as the process of converting text from one language to another, while interpretation is spoken or signed language. The U.S. Department of Education (2017) mandates that districts supply these services; however, ESAs can provide information and guidance to districts, create a consortium or management system for funding, and in many cases, ESAs will need their own interpretation and translation services for internal schools and other services, such as early childhood, special education, and early college and career and technical education (CTE). There is a government contract with a specific provider (not named here), who offer pay-per-use interpretations over the phone using three-way calling for around $0.50 per minute. Written translations, video interpretation, and in-person interpretation will usually require other costs; however, in obtaining and using these services, there should not be a start-up cost nor a regular monthly/annual fee—if there is, then it is recommended to search for another provider who does not require these fees. These services are vital for ensuring that parents/caregivers who speak languages other than English are fully engaged in their children’s education and can participate in school activities, meetings, and decision-making processes, especially in parent-teacher conferences, extra-curricular opportunities, and in evaluations for special needs.

2. Support equitable evaluations for MLs who may have special needs.

MLs are often either over or under-identified for special education services in U.S. schools. Recent data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) reveals that in some states (i.e., New Mexico, Illinois, Montana) the percentage of MLs identified with learning disabilities were as high as 22%, while non-MLs with learning disabilities were only 13% (OELA, 2021). This accounts for a 9% disparity between MLs and non-MLs with identified learning disabilities. In other words, schools are mistakenly identifying MLs as having disabilities when language difference is likely the primary issue in learning difficulties, leading to overrepresentation. Conversely, MLs actual learning disabilities may be under-identified due to inadequate evaluations and/or misunderstandings of language acquisition, resulting in insufficient support for identified students. Moreover, the complexity of accurately identifying MLs for special education services is exacerbated by factors like socioeconomic status, race, and inconsistent state policies, which can lead to both over- and under-identification issues (Shifrer et al., 2021). Overall, disproportionate representation of MLs in special education in the U.S is an ongoing issue. 

Because of these issues, it is important to ensure that equitable evaluation processes are conducted by a multidisciplinary team of educators who can provide varied interdisciplinary perspectives and understanding in the identification process (i.e., culturally and linguistically inclusive practices). ESAs can help districts in this process by providing guidance and networking with bilingual evaluators to utilize assessments that are normed for speakers of languages other than English. Regarding equitable evaluations, translation and interpretation services are critical for working with ML families; however, with cognitive evaluations, simply translating an evaluation normed for English L1 speakers is not typically viewed as an equitable evaluation practice for MLs, nor is using an interpreter to conduct an evaluation normed for English L1 speakers. If bilingual evaluators are not available in your area, ESAs can guide districts in locating a trained bilingual evaluator who is willing to co-conduct an evaluation using video technology in collaboration with a local district school psychologist, or evaluator. In all these equitable practices, the goal is to distinguish between language differences and learning disabilities. 

Assessing newcomer MLs poses unique challenges, that is MLs who have been enrolled in U.S. schools for one year or less. It is recommended that such evaluations be conducted in the child’s first language (L1) using L1 assessment tools with a bilingual evaluator, or, if one is not accessible locally, locating one in another region and using video conferencing. A comprehensive evaluation of newcomer MLs should, again, involve a multidisciplinary team of educators, including those from general education, English language education, and special education. This team should work together to ensure a methodologically rigorous and culturally sensitive identification process (see Collier, 2010 for more information). This culturally responsive team approach is done to ensure that a (mis)diagnosis of a learning disability is not made due to trauma or lack of prior schooling, for example, trauma from refugee camps, trauma from migration, political or military conflict in the home country, culture shock from newly arriving in the U.S., being students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) (i.e., limited L1 literacy and lack of schooling), and many other issues which could cause children to raise negative affective filters and thus result in misdiagnosis. By promoting an equitable evaluation process with districts, ESAs can ensure that MLs receive the appropriate support and accommodations, prevent misdiagnosis, and foster academic and personal growth. Equally, ESAs can provide professional development on multidisciplinary team approaches to problem solving when newcomer MLs are struggling.  

Finally, when MLs are identified with special needs, building tailored support into the student’s individual education plan (IEP), especially through alternative English proficiency testing (e.g., WIDA ALT ACCESS), ensures that these students receive appropriate and effective instruction. By including language support in the IEP, ESAs can guide districts toward addressing potential learning barriers before they become entrenched. Early and strategic intervention is critical for long-term academic success in MLs with properly diagnosed special needs.

3. Promote multilingualism in early childhood programs and early elementary learners.

ESAs also have a crucial role in supporting MLs in the early childhood education initiatives that they administer, especially in providing information to early literacy educators and speech language pathologists (SLPs). There are three important research factors to share with educators that work with birth to kindergarten students, as well as early elementary teachers: 1) bilingualism/multilinguals and language growth, 2) the critical period hypothesis and 3) the bilingual brain. Firstly, research consistently shows that early bilingualism/multilingualism has virtually no negative effects on children’s intellectual and social-emotional growth (Cummins, 2000). In fact, numerous studies have highlighted the cognitive, social, and academic benefits of being bilingual from a young age (Bialystok, 2009). Despite common beliefs and instructions from some schools advising multilingual parents/caregivers to stop using multiple languages at home due to concerns about negatively affecting their children’s English language growth, research overwhelmingly supports the view that early multilingualism is beneficial, providing children with advantages that can have lasting positive effects throughout their lives (Cummins, 2000). 

Secondly, understanding the critical period is essential to understanding L2 acquisition and learning in children. The critical period hypothesis (see Figure 1) is a theory in cognitive and psycholinguistics which suggests that there is a window of time during which language acquisition occurs most effectively (DeKeyser, 2012). Through decades of research, cognitive linguistics have found that the critical period essentially closes once humans reach physical maturation (i.e., puberty) (Birdsong, 2006). In other words, typically, once an individual reaches puberty, they lose the ability to gain native-like proficiency (and accent) through language acquisition alone and will require language learning through explicit instruction. Although often used interchangeably, consider for a moment the difference in meaning between the words acquire and learn. To acquire something is a natural, often subconscious process of gaining knowledge through exposure and experience, essentially a gift; however, to learn involves awareness, intentionality, and the use of specific strategies, which requires some amount of work on the receiver’s part. Under the research umbrella of the critical period hypothesis, the difference between gaining a language before and after puberty is the difference between acquire and learn. 

Figure 1. 

Critical Period Hypothesis: Grammatical Proficiency and Second Language Age of Acquisition (Devineni, 2015) 

For U.S. educators, the practicalities of the critical period hypothesis are as follows:  

1. Most high school students will have passed the critical window, and thus this age group will require explicit English language instruction if they are to increase English proficiency—despite the commonly held notion that language will be acquired through content alone (i.e., math, science, social studies courses).  
2. However, for early childhood and young elementary students, while there will be a strong need for culturally responsive teaching (Hammond, 2015) and social-emotional support, social English (as opposed to academic English) will be acquired naturally through exposure and experience, that is interactions at school and contexts where English is being used. While English language development (ELD) in both early childhood (birth to kindergarten) and K-2 contexts is essential, it is suggested that birth to second grade ELD/ESL teachers focus on supporting the process of early literacy learning alongside students’ ELD. The rationale is that once MLs learn to read in English, they will have more opportunities for academic language acquisition in classroom settings (National Council of Early Learning, 2023)—which is, in fact, true of all students. This is not to say that districts should remove ELD/ESL teachers with Pre-K, or K-2 students as they are essential to supporting the students and the classroom teacher; however, language is simply Language to this age group (National Council of Early Learning, 2023). Young children do not recognize the borders between languages, and this is evidenced in the common practice of translanguaging, that is fluidly moving between languages in speech or text (Nikolov & Mihaljević Djigunović, 2019). It is important to note that as children get older, around the age of seven, the critical period window slowly starts to close as children become more self-aware, and thus aware of differences between people. At this age, languages begin to separate in the brain and therefore elementary ELD/ESL teachers should focus strong efforts on MLs in grades 3-5, especially regarding English language literacy. Further, between the ages of eleven to thirteen, language begins to solidify in the brain as the body starts the process of physical maturation.  
3. Around the age of seventeen the critical period window closes and the need for explicit instruction is imperative, that is language learning, not language acquisition, becomes essential. However, supporting bilingualism with all age groups in Pre-K-12 classroom contexts through the involvement of highly qualified and trained ESL/ELD teachers is beneficial. This aligns with the recent speech by U.S. Department of Education secretary Miguel Cardona and his vision of building a multilingual America “where every young person understands their native language is an asset and learning more than one is a superpower” (U.S. Department of Education, 2023, para. 41). In other words, multilingualism and multiculturalism in U.S. schools enhances the overall learning environment for all students by fostering language diversity and enriching educational experiences.  

Finally, these three research-based foci also support parents/caregivers of MLs working hard to increase L1 literacy and language at home (i.e., L1 maintenance). ESAs with early childhood programs should continue to promote parents/caregivers in providing literacy and culture building activities in the home language (e.g., L1 storybooks, songs, nursery rhymes, etc.) while the child acquires English at school. Equally, if ESAs provide literacy resources to districts, include multilingual materials whenever possible (i.e., bilingual storybooks, literacy games, songs, and nursery rhymes, etc.). These multilingual materials are not only for families of MLs, but rather mainstream English L1 students will also benefit from exposure to multilingual and multicultural learning materials. If ESAs and early childhood program directors are interested in further L1 and L2 acquisition research, I encourage you to watch the TED talk videos by Dr. Patricia Kuhl, which offer a wealth of research-based information on child language acquisition.

4. Support MLs and families through specialized ESA programs.

Collaboration is key in Career and Technical Education (CTE) and early college contexts. First, ESAs can partner with other ESAs in the regional area to provide professional development to CTE teachers and staff regarding appropriate accommodations for MLs and communication with parents/caregivers. Vocational instructors in CTE programs focused on trades, careers, or technical fields could benefit from instructional coaching around content differentiation strategies in teaching English for specific purposes (i.e., disciplinary literacy). Although CTE instructors cannot modify essential trade and technical curricula for MLs (i.e., you cannot teach 70% of how to fix the brakes on a vehicle), there are certainly linguistic and cultural adaptations that can be enacted for MLs wishing to join such programs (e.g., differentiation, translation, culturally responsive teaching strategies). Second, ESAs can collaborate and co-create enrollment best practices for MLs, which can be useful in communicating expectations to teachers and counselors in the districts and early college and CTE programs. Furthermore, promoting CTE and early college opportunities directly to MLs and ESL teachers is essential. Encouraging MLs to join CTE programs and early college programs not only broadens career prospects but also helps apply language skills in practical, real-world contexts. Third, ESAs can facilitate open communication and data sharing between districts and CTE programs so that both camps have the information needed (e.g., WIDA scores) to provide proper support and career guidance to the learners. By facilitating communication and providing essential data, ESAs can help MLs acquire valuable skills that enhance their employability, college and career-readiness, and integration into the U.S. workforce and society. Finally, ESAs can provide support to linguistically and culturally diverse families of MLs by utilizing interpretation and translation services when communicating important program information as well as through specialized programs in areas such as English language and U.S. citizenship courses to parents and family members. By arranging opportunities on evenings or weekends for families to increase their English language proficiency, and gain U.S. citizenship, either at an ESA, or in the districts, educational institutions in the U.S. are taking an asset-based, DEIB focused, holistic approach to education and family engagement.  

Before moving on, it is important to note that for all these programs, by using WIDA proficiency scores, or your states’ English proficiency assessment, as a foundation, ESAs can provide customized support tailored to the specific needs of MLs. These scores offer valuable insights into the language proficiency levels of students, enabling teachers to design and implement differentiated instruction that is both effective and efficient based on the traditional four language domains (i.e., listening, speaking, reading, and writing) as well as WIDA’s expanded notions of both expressive and interpretive domains. ESL teachers should administer these English proficiency exams whenever possible, and scores must be shared in student information systems, so that classroom teachers have access to these data points while planning instruction. Educators may also utilize the WIDA Proficiency Level Descriptors (WIDA, 2020b) to guide the establishment of language goals and set expectations for language use within the classroom and it is suggested that these are also shared with classroom teachers to compare MLs proficiency scores with the level descriptors, which aids in planning instruction. Thus, teachers may require professional development in how to interpret and utilize these language proficiency scores and descriptors if they are to implement pedagogy that is linguistically accessible to improve the outcomes of MLs in U.S educational institutions.

5. Hire a language consultant/instructional coach and provide alternative routes to ESL teacher licensure.

One way to get the knowledge about language proficiency assessments to teachers would be to hire an English language instructional coach. In fact, many ESAs are responding to the increasing demand from districts for ML support by hiring English language consultants, instructional coaches, and additional ESL teachers and program coordinators. These professionals bring specialized experience, knowledge, and pedagogies that are essential for addressing the complex needs of MLs. At Ingham ISD, my role as the English language consultant and coach is essentially split in half, with fifty percent of my time spent consulting with district leaders about programmatic and systematic issues around MLs, while the other half is spent instructional coaching both ESL and general education teachers in working with MLs. For hiring in this position, I recommend searching for candidates with K-12 ESL or bilingual education teacher certifications that also have a master’s degree in applied linguistics or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Previous district-level ESL program directors, experienced ESL teachers, or returning expats who have taught English abroad would all make strong candidates. Funding for this position could come out of grant money at the state level, including the use of Title III monies, or state-specific funds (e.g., Section 41 in Michigan). It is possible to drum up support for such a position as immigration and education for MLs is a timely political issue and most states are interested in increasing efficacy in this area. Or if support is an issue, there are possibilities around forming a consortium with several districts to fund the position. Moreover, if you are an ESA that offers alternative routes to teacher certification, then include ESL licensure in your teacher education programs. These alternative pathways build teacher capacity in school districts to support MLs, and their parents/caregivers. 

6. Provide professional development to teachers, instructional coaches, counselors, and administrators around supporting MLs and their families.

Professional development is a critical component of ESA support to districts. By offering training to a wide range of school stakeholders, ESAs ensure that educators, counselors, and administrators are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively support MLs. ESL teachers can benefit from professional development networks focused on classroom strategies, differentiation, Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) training, and utilizing technology for MLs (e.g., machine translation, AI, text-to-speech readers, etc.) which are important for creating inclusive, effective, and differentiated learning environments. Additionally, professional development can be offered online using video communication in a series of synchronous, or asynchronous, sessions. ESAs play a vital role in providing these specialized training and resources to districts. Further, ESAs can also facilitate communication and share resources with districts and especially teachers via email lists, share sites/websites, and guidebooks and toolkits about important new developments in the English language teaching world and how to better serve newcomer students (see the OELA (2016) Newcomer Tool Kit), such as new funding opportunities, teaching materials and strategies, new technology, and so on. Finally, low incidence schools can pool Title III funding (i.e., language instruction for English learners and immigrant students) and state funding to create a consortium to offer virtual professional development, usually provided by ESAs with larger ML populations. 

Personally, one area where I have found success in my role as an instructional coach has been in a “coach-the-coach” model. In other words, because classroom teachers’ time is difficult to come by, I have specifically sought out meetings with school-based (and district-based) instructional coaches. In these meetings, we discuss, workshop, and problem-solve ML challenges that the school-based coaches see during observations and/or hearing about from teachers and staff. By engaging in problem solving at an institutional level that is instructionally focused, rather than administratively, we have been fortunate enough to solve several challenges for classroom teachers, such as utilizing technology (e.g., machine translation, reading and other literacy and numeracy interventions), helping MLs with special needs, solving issues around MLs with possible misdiagnoses of special needs, helping students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE), helping students with trauma backgrounds, and so on. There are two important components in this coach-the-coach scenario. Firstly, I have found that the classroom teachers usually feel more comfortable working with a local coach in their school district, rather than an external coach at the ESA-level, like me. Of course, I have coached teachers and teacher groups directly, however, this alternative model has been successful. Secondly, school-based instructional coaches understand their specific context in a way that external coaches simply cannot. They live and breathe it every day. In our coach-the-coach sessions, the instructional coaches were able to share context-specific issues and essentially “cut to the chase,” which in turn saved me hours of observation and discussion time with teachers as well as increased the efficacy of my instructional coaching and hopefully their own. I strongly suggest ESAs utilize a coach-the-coach model in all applicable areas of instructional coaching and content. 

School counselors also play a pivotal role in the education of MLs, especially at the high school level, and even more with MLs than with mainstream students. ESAs must provide professional development that helps counselors understand how to strategically cluster MLs in general education classrooms through creative scheduling and communicating with teachers. Strategic clusters are small groups of MLs (i.e., generally no more than eight) that are placed together in a specific general education classroom with a specific teacher (Honigsfeld & Dove, 2010). Typically, these teachers are content teachers who enjoy working with students of diverse backgrounds, or perhaps they enjoy traveling, and/or speak another language themselves, or perhaps they are just excellent teachers. Clustered classrooms and classroom teachers should be provided with extra support in the form of highly qualified, well-trained paraprofessionals, enhanced technology, and of course ESL teacher support. While push-in/pull-out ESL teacher support is a popular model, ESAs could suggest that districts consider a co-teaching model (Honigsfeld & Dove, 2010) as this model increases teacher collaboration and improves learner outcomes. Co-teaching is also recommended in the revised WIDA 2020 Standards (WIDA, 2020a). In districts with higher populations of MLs, sheltered content instructional models are recommended (e.g., ESL Math, ESL Social Studies, ESL Science), which can be taught by a general education teacher with an ESL endorsement, or if the general education teacher does not have an ESL endorsement, the classes can be co-taught with an ESL teacher in the above-mentioned co-teaching model. More importantly, ESAs can open pathways and encourage districts to provide support (e.g., financial, or otherwise) for classroom and content teachers to become ESL endorsed, and in turn, increase teachers’ capacity to work with and for MLs.  

Both strategic clustering and sheltered instruction models foster collaboration between general education and ESL teachers as well as fostering increased zones of proximal development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1978) for newcomers through deeper ML peer support in language, academics, and social-emotional learning. In both models, it is essential that MLs are not sprinkled around with different teachers in the same subject area or grade level. In a high school context, ESAs can guide counselors and district administrators to strategically place a group of MLs in one section of, for instance, algebra, with increased support, rather than several sections of algebra with different teachers at different class hours throughout the day. Teachers who have clusters of MLs may push back if they are unaware of the benefits of strategic clustering; thus, communication and incentivization are key. It is essential for districts and counselors to communicate to teachers the advantages of strategic clustering, such as increased learner ZPD, peer support for social-emotional learning, and teacher collaboration, before clustered classroom teachers are chosen and clusters are created.  

Further, depending on the age groups and transportation needs, districts may also choose to strategically cluster MLs into one school to pool resources and increase peer support. A new and exciting sheltered model in this vein that is gaining popularity is the newcomer center. A newcomer center is a school within a school, or within a district, that serves as a short-term stepping-stone to building language, literacy, and an understanding of U.S. school culture before placing newly arrived MLs into mainstream schools and classrooms. Newcomer centers also serve as testing sites for WIDA and other English proficiency assessments, as well as L1 literacy tests that promote the Seal of Biliteracy and other “test-out” assessments where MLs without transcripts can show knowledge to gain credits toward graduation. An excellent addition to the newcomer model is providing peer mentors, or navigators, to newly arrived MLs (i.e.., the buddy system), where the mentors are usually higher proficiency MLs, or mainstream students interested in multilingualism and multiculturalism. These student mentors can earn elective credit for their important mentorship with newcomer students. Finally, another essential role that counselors and graduation specialists play is working with foreign transcripts, providing both higher education and CTE options, and adopting asset-based approaches, such as “test-outs” to help older MLs reaching age-out time limits to graduate with a U.S. high school diploma. Handling foreign transcripts and choosing appropriate coursework is arduous and requires counselor professional development provided by ESAs or at the district-level. 

Building and district leadership can also receive targeted professional development for MLs. ESAs can offer guidance on offering SIOP training and other professional learning sessions around ESL strategies ensuring an equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive approach to ML education. ESAs can provide district and school-level staff as well as administrators with guidance towards effective communication with parents/caregivers of MLs, using interpretation and translation services, and navigating funding opportunities, which can empower school leaders to create supportive and resource-rich environments for MLs in their specific contexts. Finally, ESAs can provide guidance to districts regarding innovative instructional models (i.e., newcomer centers) and new coursework, which can then be collaboratively (e.g., ESA and district partnership) presented to instructional councils and school boards for pilot approval to enhance opportunities and efficacy in ML education. 

7. Support DEIB by supporting linguistic diversity and culturally responsive pedagogies.

ESAs play a pivotal role in promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) by fostering communities of practice that value linguistic and cultural diversity in school districts and culturally responsive pedagogies among teachers. By recognizing and valuing the linguistic assets that MLs bring to classrooms, ESAs can help districts create an inclusive educational environment where all learners feel respected and valued. This support begins with administrators providing resources and training for educators to understand and implement culturally responsive teaching practices in classrooms. ESAs can facilitate communication with administrators around these issues as well as provide professional development opportunities focused on best practices for English language instruction. These asset-based approaches not only enhance opportunities to increase MLs’ academic achievement, identity affirmation, and community involvement, but also, foster internationalization and empathy in mainstream students. 

Furthermore, ESAs can advocate for districts implementing policies and events that support linguistic diversity in the community. This includes promoting multilingual and multicultural events to ensure that ML families are fully engaged with the local community and the community is engaged with them (e.g., multicultural night). Additionally, ESAs can support dual language and bilingual education programs in the U.S., which benefit both MLs and mainstream English L1 speakers. By championing such initiatives, ESAs contribute to creating an educational landscape that values and nurtures internationalization, linguistic diversity, and multiculturalism, ultimately advancing DEIB goals and preparing all students for a multilingual and multicultural future. 

Conclusion: Transforming Schools Through Assets-based Approaches 

The increasing numbers, changing resettlement areas, and changing demographics of students in U.S. schools presents both challenges and opportunities. ESAs play a vital role in supporting these students, families, teachers, schools, and school districts. Enriching the educational landscape for all, the linguistic and cultural diversity that MLs bring to classrooms should be viewed as an asset, and not a deficiency. Afterall, apart from Native Americans and indigenous cultures, every American has an immigration story somewhere in their family history, and we are here now because of these brave souls. As such, leaders in ESAs are called upon to champion this vulnerable yet invaluable population, fostering their academic success and social integration into the broader community, ensuring better outcomes and brighter opportunities in the futures of all students.  

Acknowledgements 

The author would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments during the review process as well as the community of practice of English language consultants and coaches in Michigan for their formative comments and suggestions, especially Suzanne Toohey. 

Jared Michael Kubokawa 

Newcomer English Language Consultant and Coach 

Ingham Intermediate School District, Mason, MI 

Jared can be reached by phone at 517-244-1474 and by email at jared.kubokawa@inghamisd.org 

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