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NCEL News
Resources on Teaching Literacy to Multilingual Learners
January 2026
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The Virtual NCEL Summit Is Almost Here!
We’re getting closer to the National Committee for Effective Literacy Summit 2026 on January 21, 2026 — and you don’t want to miss it!
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This full-day virtual event will bring together educators, district leaders, researchers, advocates, and policymakers from around the country to focus on literacy, equity, and the experiences of multilingual learners.
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Breakout sessions will highlight:
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✅ Professional development and teacher education
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Featured speakers and panelists include:
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- Miguel Cardona, 12th U.S. Secretary of Education
- Ester de Jong, Associate Dean for Research and Academic Affairs, University of Colorado, Denver
- Nell K. Duke, Executive Director, Center for Early Literacy and Learning Success, Stand for Children
- Kathy Escamilla, Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado, Boulder
- Jody Slavick, Director, Literacy Squared/BUENO Center, University of Colorado, Boulder
…and many more leaders in the field!
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Register now to make sure you don’t miss the learning and connections with colleagues across the country.
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New NCEL Teacher Education Digest
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This paper highlights promising practices from teacher education programs nationwide—including case examples, field-based learning models, and bilingual instructional strategies that bridge knowledge into practice. The digest also includes implications for teacher preparation policy, essential in the ever-changing political landscape, as well as appendices loaded with practical resources for teacher educators.
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Member News
Multilingual Education Hall of Fame
The field of multilingual education has been shaped by visionary educators, researchers, and advocates whose work has expanded access, equity, and opportunity for multilingual learners across generations. To honor these contributions, the Multilingual Education Hall of Fame was established as a permanent way to recognize individuals whose scholarship, leadership, and activism have transformed the field.
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The Hall of Fame launched in 2025 with the induction of its inaugural cohort, including NCEL members Margarita Calderon, Kathy Escamilla, Margo Gottlieb, and Shelly Spiegel-Coleman. A new class will be inducted at this year’s NABE conference, including NCEL members Martha Hernandez, Socorro Herrera, Sonia Nieto, and Laurie Olsen.
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CAL Research to Policy Webinars
- “Effective Instruction for Biliteracy Development of Emergent Bilingual Students” with Danling Fu
- “Assessing Reading Difficulty Screeners for Multilingual Learners” with Shelly Spiegel-Coleman
- “Comprehensive Literacy Approach for Multilingual Learners” with Martha Hernandez
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NCEL at Conferences
Centering Multilingual Learners in Literacy: Research, Practice, and Policy
National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Annual Conference
February 9-13, 2026, Chicago, IL
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This workshop features a distinguished panel from the National Committee for Effective Literacy (NCEL), including authors of four key publications on effective literacy for multilingual learners (MLLs): foundational principles, early childhood, the impact of Science of Reading implementation, and teacher preparation. Panelists will share research-informed practices that center MLLs, offering guidance for educators, leaders, researchers, and policymakers. Attendees will gain insights into designing and implementing equitable literacy and biliteracy approaches across educational contexts and developmental stages.
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The National Committee for Effective Literacy uplifts research, policies, and practices to ensure that English learners/emergent bilinguals leave school as proficient readers and writers in English — and preferably more languages — and who thrive and succeed in school and their communities.
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Copyright ©2026 National Committee for Effective Literacy, all rights reserved.
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