LMU School of Education’s Center for Equity for English Learners, with partner Education First, will create the first-ever National Comprehensive Center for English Learners and Multilingualism
LOS ANGELES — Loyola Marymount University has received a $5.75 million grant from the Department of Education to establish the National Comprehensive Center for English Learners and Multilingualism. The center will be developed by LMU School of Education’s Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) in partnership with the mission-driven strategy organization Education First.
The center is one of 19 national and regional organizations formed under the DOE’s Comprehensive Centers Program, a $46 million initiative to help states and local educational agencies improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students, close opportunity and achievement gaps, and improve instructional quality, particularly for underserved and at-risk communities.
The grant is the largest ever received by CEEL, which was founded in 2006 to conduct research, provide professional development, and develop policies in support of improving educational outcomes for English learners and multilingual students. Such students face unique challenges at school as they learn a new language while simultaneously trying to understand and participate in other classroom activities.
“There are 5.3 million public school students — that’s more than 10 percent of all public school students — who are classified as English learners,” said Magaly Lavadenz, founding executive director of CEEL and the Leavey Presidential Endowed Chair in Ethics and Moral Leadership at LMU. “We are honored to be selected as the first-ever U.S. National Comprehensive Center for English Learners and Multilingualism, and we look forward to collaborating with the other centers to improve education systems and practices for this vibrant and diverse community.”
The scope of the center’s work will comprise technical assistance and professional development that will equip teachers, educational leaders, state agencies, and other school and district personnel with evidence-based tools and knowledge to support English learners during their PK-12 journeys and throughout their careers. “Supporting leaders and educators to provide effective teaching and learning is a primary role of our center and can foster improved experiences at school,” Lavadenz said. The new center, she adds, will strive to reverse “deficit” perspectives and ensure that English learner communities receive supports that are based on their strengths and needs.
Added Kelly James, partner at Education First: “We are excited to see multilingual learners elevated by the Department of Education and are eager to partner with CEEL to tackle this pressing challenge while amplifying the rich linguistic and cultural assets of multilingual learners.”
Lavadenz and CEEL have long been champions for these efforts. “For more than 15 years, CEEL has been at the forefront of developing and disseminating successful practices for educating English learners in California and beyond,” said Estela Zarate, dean of LMU School of Education. “Their establishment of a National Comprehensive Center in their area of expertise formally broadens their reach to a national platform and boosts their capacity to improve the lives of these students and their communities.”
“Education is a powerful tool to foster equity and advance social justice, and a pillar of our founding religious orders that guide LMU’s mission,” said Thomas Poon, executive vice president and provost of LMU. “We are deeply committed to ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, has access to quality education and the support they need to thrive. Through this collaboration between CEEL and Education First, we are closing opportunity gaps and empowering educators to create inclusive, transformative learning environments that uplift their students.”
