This study explores the perspectives of secondary public school teachers whose primary responsibility is supporting Multilingual Learners (MLs). Approximately 10 percent of all students in the United States are MLs or English Learners (ELs). Despite the need for research there is a gap around the literature focusing on the experiences and issues teachers face when teaching MLs in a secondary school environment. Research that is available points to inequitable policies and practices that result in lower graduation rates and achievement gaps for secondary MLs. To better understand this phenomena, the researchers used qualitative methods to explore the perspectives of English Language Development (ELD) teachers within secondary schools based on research of effective practice and policy. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with secondary teachers in a metropolitan area of the western United States. By analyzing the data with the constant comparison method, the following findings arose; 1) content teachers often do not have the background knowledge and/or take the time to learn teaching strategies that support MLs; 2) tension arises when planning programs with courses specifically designed for MLs for fear of separating MLs from mainstream classrooms; 3) requiring standardized testing as the sole instrument for MLs program placement can result in long-term ELD placement and a lack of support. Based on the data collected, the authors suggest specific policies and administrative support for teachers of MLs.

Foreign language education policy has been a topic of concern in the USA dating back to the time of the founding fathers. Throughout history, these policies have largely been influenced by immigration trends and society's perspectives on immigrants. A paradox of American society is that it is a nation made from a "melting pot" of immigrants while the pressure on those to assimilate has resulted in a dominantly monolingual population. With changes in immigration rates and shifts in the national origins of immigrants throughout the ages, the attitudes and perspectives of the general public toward foreigners and foreign languages have also adjusted over time. This presentation will show how policy and public opinion have been tied over the past century by mapping how foreign languages have been taught and viewed in the USA, from the early waves of immigration to the present day.

This research examines the history of the relationship between education and prejudices through the role of education in national policies on immigration, “get tough” legislation, sex education debates, and bilingual education. Most recently, social discomfort has stemmed from whether or not Critical Race Theory is being taught in our schools. Proponents of the ban on Critical Race Theory propagate white supremacy to meet a nationalist agenda that pushes out students of color by perpetuating tension and anxiety but do not focus on student's perspectives of ethnic studies courses. In this study, I explore the survey data of 1,153 undergraduate student's responses to their introductory ethnic studies (Asian American Studies, Black Studies, Chicanx Studies, and Feminist Studies) courses at UCSB in order to gain an understanding of the importance of these disciplines in high school. In my analysis, I will offer an intersectional framework that considers the relationality between social constructions and inequalities. This work is significant for teachers, policymakers, and students of color whose curriculum is rarely representative of their identities.