The Impact of English-Only Legislation on Teacher Professional Development: Shifting Perspectives in Arizona

Language minority students represent an increasing percentage of the school-age student population in the United States. Because the number of English language learners (ELLs) is on the rise nationwide, some states have enacted English-only legislation that impacts the educational experiences of ELLs and the teachers who work with them. Many teachers are now responsible—for the first time—for the linguistic and academic success of this student population; therefore, many states and districts have mandated teacher training. The authors' work as co-staff developers over the past 7 years has highlighted the cyclic trends of teachers attending the workshops and the need to maintain a positive stance and ground training sessions in real classroom practices and experiences. As such, the interactive Structured English Language (SEI) training deepens the professional knowledge and strengthens the instructional skills of all certified teachers who attend the workshops and training sessions.