Raising the Bar for Multilingualism and English Learners Through a Re-Imagined National Professional Development Program (NPD)

The U.S. Department of Education Invites Applications for NPD Competitive Grant

A purple graphic with the ED logo and white text that reads: Raising the Bar for Multilingualism and English-Learners Through a Re-Imagined National Professional Development Program (NPD)

By: Beatriz Ceja, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and Loredana Valtierra, Policy Advisor, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development (OPEPD)

The need for bilingual and multilingual teachers is critical more than ever, as over five million of our public-school enrolled students are English learners (ELs). “Raise the Bar (RTB): Lead the World” Initiative is the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) call to action to transform pre-kindergarten through postsecondary learning and unite around what truly works. The National Professional Development (NPD) program, administered by the Office of English Language Acquisition, is ready to respond to the call. Investments in programs that promote academic excellence to boldly improve teaching and learning will increase our global competitiveness.

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Modernizing Federal Student Loan Servicing

By: Richard Cordray, Chief Operating Office, Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education

This spring, Federal Student Aid (FSA) will begin improving how individual borrowers manage and repay their federal student loans. Through multiple phases, we will bring online an entirely new federal student loan servicing environment – a goal we have pursued for more than a decade. We are excited to reach this important milestone.

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The Transformative Influence of Academic Advisors

As a college student in the early 2000s, I was fortunate to have an academic advisor to guide me as I pursued learning opportunities, faced challenges, and explored career goals.

Now, as a researcher of academic advising and former post-secondary advisor, I’m sharing my experience to shed light on what advisors do, help students connect with their advisors – and maybe even inspire some future academic advisors!

What is an academic advisor?

Academic advisors fill many roles, but primarily provide guidance, care, and support to students as they navigate their academic journey – from setting & achieving educational, career, and life goals, to ensuring a meaningful learning experience.

I came to see academic advisors as symbols of empowerment who could positively influence the life trajectories of advisees and assist them in their own journeys of self-discovery.

What can an academic advisor do?

Originally, I thought academic advisors mainly assisted students with understanding degree requirements and selecting classes. Today, academic advisors perform many essential responsibilities to serve their advisees (Bermea et al., 2023) like:

  • Recruitment and Registration: Support registration for new and current students while recruiting prospective students.
  • Teaching and Learning: Use reflective pedagogies to teach students strategies for academic, personal, and career success.
  • Coaching and Development: Support advisees’ academic coaching & career development, including goal setting and planning.
  • Intervention and Support: Monitor students’ progression towards graduation and educational goals, with outreach and intervention to keep them on track.
  • Wellness and Well-Being: Help students navigate unexpected challenges and connect them with institutional resources & supports.

What are the benefits of being an academic advisor?

I find my advising work to be incredibly rewarding, with benefits like:

  • Personal Fulfillment: From helping them overcome challenges, to seeing them succeed academically and achieve their goals, it’s deeply fulfilling work.
  • Building Relationships: My work allows me to build meaningful connections with students, understanding their individual needs, aspirations, and challenges.
  • Positive Impact on Campus Culture: Firsthand, I see how effective advising creates a positive culture for students, faculty, staff, and the broader campus community. When students succeed, we all succeed!

How do I prepare to become an academic advisor?

My advisees often ask me how to become an academic advisor – no surprise given that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023), the demand for advisors is expected to increase over the next decade. Reflecting on my experience, here are a few suggestions:

  • Develop Your Interpersonal Competencies: Focus on improving communication, active listening, cultural humility, and empathy skills to connect with students and provide meaningful and culturally congruent guidance.
  • Gain Practical Experience: Becoming a peer advisor or mentor allows you to gain hands-on experience advising fellow students & addressing unique challenges.
  • Study Academic Advising: Earning a certificate or degree provides a foundation in the theories, principles, and approaches of advising.
  • Get Involved in the Profession: Academic advising conferences, workshops, and seminars are great opportunities to network with professionals & learn about best practices.

The guidance I received over 20 years ago not only helped my personal growth but sparked a genuine interest in the profession of academic advising & shaped the trajectory of my career and purpose. My journey – from advisee to advisor – is a testament to the transformative power of advisors and the power of helping others navigate their paths in school & beyond.

Biography

Gabriel Bermea is a Visiting Scholar at The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI), where he conducts research on academic advising practices and student success within and across Minority Serving Institutions.

We Want to Hear From You: Supporting Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Needs in Higher Education

We Want to Hear From You

Supporting Mental Health And Substance Use Disorder Needs In Higher Education

By: Roberto Rodriguez, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. 

If you need suicide or mental health-related crisis support, or are worried about someone else, please call or text 988 or visit the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s chat to connect with a trained crisis counselor.  

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Seven Things to Know About the Student Loan Payment Count Adjustment

Borrowers Have More Time to Consolidate Loans to Benefit from the Adjustment

By: Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray

Since this summer, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) has approved almost $44 billion in debt relief for more than 900,000 borrowers as part of the payment count adjustment. This is a one-time initiative to address historical failures in administering student loans. It provides much-needed relief to borrowers who have been in repayment for 20 years or more and gives all other borrowers an accurate picture of their progress toward forgiveness going forward. The payment count adjustment is one of several actions that has brought overall forgiveness approved by the Biden-Harris Administration to $132 billion for over 3.6 million borrowers.

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Administration of ESSA Title III State-Administered Grants Returns to OELA

A teal graphic with the ED logo in the bottom right corner. White text reads, "Administration of ESSA Title III State-Administered Grants Returns to OELA."

By: Montserrat Garibay, Assistant Deputy Secretary & Director for the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA)

As part of the Raise the Bar: Lead the World Initiative, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) last month hosted a convening with national and local leaders to discuss the pivotal moment we found ourselves in, as we transform and implement our multilingualism strategy in our day-to-day operations.

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Advancing Opportunity through Building and Using Evidence

By: Jessica Ramakis, Director, Grants Policy Office, Office of Planning Evaluation and Policy Development, and Matthew Soldner, Commissioner, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences & Evaluation Officer, U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) strives to support the education community–including families, students, educators, State and local government agencies, Institutions of Higher Education, and local partners–in the work of continuous improvement of education. ED is a leader across government in using and building evidence about “what works” in education, and we appreciate the thoughtful work of our grantees, contractors, and other partners that provide support in advancing this work.

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Online For All: Coalition Mobilizes for Digital Equity during Back-to-School Season

By: Ji Soo Song, Digital Equity Advisor, Office of Educational Technology and Elena Saltzman, Director of Campaigns, Civic Nation

Last month, as part of Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar, Secretary Cardona held a roundtable discussion in Kansas City, KS about broadband connectivity with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. During this event with local superintendents and community-based organizations, Secretary Cardona emphasized it’s the internet’s critical role in expanding educational opportunities, supporting access to services, and creating pathways for full participation in the economy.

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Highlighting Climate Solutions in California on the 2023 Green Strides Tour

By: Naomi Stern, Federation of American Scientists Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure Impact Fellow, U.S. Department of Education

This September, I had the honor of participating in the 2023 Green Strides Tour in California. As a fellow with the U.S. Department of Education, I knew that the schools and districts we would visit represent diverse examples of how sustainability is implemented. I was excited to see schools in my home state of California that have embedded sustainability across their school operations, resulting in improved learning and health conditions. Along the way, I encountered unparalleled passion, enthusiasm, and dedication on the part of entire school communities.

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Reaching Bilingual Teachers Earlier in the Pipeline: Proposed Priorities for the National Professional Development Program

Reaching Bilingual Teachers Earlier In The Pipeline:

Proposed Priorities For The National Professional Development Program

By: Montserrat Garibay, Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director, Office of English Language Acquisition 

I clearly remember my first day of middle school as a newly arrived student from Mexico in Austin, Texas, I didn’t speak a word of English and was nervous to start a new life with my mother and sister.  My first class looked like the United Nations, students from all over the world speaking different languages, we were shy and scared.  It wasn’t until, our ESL teacher, Mrs. Hernandez welcomed us with a big smile that I knew t I was going to be fine. My feelings were confirmed when I heard her speak Spanish.

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