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In line with the mission of both CAS and CEHD, the project will help
with the teacher shortage in this high-need area and foster equitable,
inclusive teaching.
Teachers and paraprofessionals who take part in Project DELITE will
take the sequence of five UD courses online, giving access to educators
throughout Delaware. After the classes are completed, the project will
offer participants an additional year of professional development in
which they can meet regularly and share experiences with one another.
The grant for the program was awarded by the U.S. Department of
Education Office of English Language Acquisition’s National Professional
Development Program.
According to the most recent federal data, about 5 million, or 10.4%
of the nation’s K-12 students, are English language learners. Delaware,
where just over 11% of students are in this category, is among the 10
states with the highest proportion. In addition, the percentage increase
in Delaware’s EL student population in recent years leads the nation.
EL students in the state speak a variety of languages at home; the
largest number speak Spanish, followed by those who speak Haitian Creole
and almost 100 other languages.
Regardless of their language backgrounds and academic challenges,
children benefit enormously from support by trained EL teachers,
Pasquarella said.
“Some children who are English language learners struggle with
classroom work as they’re becoming multilingual, and there’s a gap
that’s made worse by poverty,” he said. “But some of them go through the
educational system, do very well and graduate at the top of their
class. We want to figure out how teachers can make that happen.”