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ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

ROUNDTABLE ON THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS/LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT STUDENTS


The New York State public school system has a very diverse student enrollment with ELL/LEP students representing a significant portion of the population. With the wide ranging needs of ELL/LEP students, New York State needs to continue to develop policies that will ensure that they have access to quality educational opportunities and programs that meet their needs. The Assembly Committee on Education has had a long-standing interest in ELL/LEP students. Last year, the Committee held hearings to comprehensively evaluate the needs of ELL/LEP students. The Committee seeks to build on what was accomplished at those hearings by continuing to assess how to best serve ELL/LEP students.

While the State Legislature has focused its attention and directed resources to educational programs that assist ELL/LEP students, there exist policy opportunities to not only improve service provisions to this critical population of students, but also to improve their academic achievement. By providing ELL/LEP students with the best possible education, the State would be making a valuable investment to the benefit of all New Yorkers.

The Assembly Committee on Education seeks to gain a further understanding of current issues confronting ELL/LEP students, and the challenges that may be faced in the future. The Committee will convene a Roundtable to which a group of individuals and representatives of professional organizations with particular knowledge of ELL/LEP students will be invited to discuss current issues in bilingual education and other services affecting the educational needs of these students, and to make recommendations on how to enhance the educational opportunities offered to ELL/LEP students.

The Roundtable will be held on September 23, 2008 from 11:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. in the Assembly Hearing Room at 250 Broadway, Room 1923, 19th Floor, New York, New York. Interested individuals and groups are welcome to observe the deliberations of the invited panelists. If you require any additional information, please contact Nicolas Storelli-Castro at (518) 455-4881 or storellicastron@assembly.state.ny.us.


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