The Implications of No Child Left Behind for the Mainstream Teacher

The passage of NCLB brings ELL students into the same context of standards and accountability as their native English-speaking peers. According to Kathleen Leos of the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), these new guidelines ensure that all students, not just native English-speaking students, are "part of each state’s accountability system and their academic progress is followed over time. States must now develop standards for English Language Proficiency and link these standards to the Academic Content Standards set by the state" (personal communication, January 27, 2003).

These changes have major implications for mainstream teachers. As Leos acknowledges, "The role of every teacher in every classroom in the nation has never been more important than today. The teacher, who is the key component within the standards reform model, must link core academic instruction to the content standards set by the state. In classrooms with language diverse populations, teachers must also ensure that the curriculum and teaching strategies reflect an alignment with English Language Proficiency Standards."

It is exactly this context that makes it imperative for schools to ensure that mainstream teachers gain a better understanding of the programs, theories, principles, and strategies that have proven successful in educating ELL students.