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Table 3.6. State policies regarding teaching of English Language Learner (ELL) students, by state: 2008–09

 
State State has teacher standards for ELL instruction State requires all prospective teachers to demonstrate competence in ELL instruction State offers incentives to earn English as a Second Language license and/or endorsement State bans or restricts native-language instruction
United States1 33 3 11 7
Alabama No No No No
Alaska No No No No
Arizona Yes Yes Yes Yes
Arkansas Yes No Yes Yes
California Yes No No Yes
         
Colorado Yes No No No
Connecticut No No No Yes
Delaware No No Yes No
District of Columbia No No No No
Florida Yes Yes Yes No
         
Georgia Yes No No No
Hawaii No No No No
Idaho Yes No Yes No
Illinois Yes No No No
Indiana Yes No No No
Iowa Yes No Yes No
Kansas Yes No Yes No
Kentucky No No No No
Louisiana No No No No
Maine No No No No
         
Maryland Yes No Yes No
Massachusetts Yes No No Yes
Michigan Yes No No No
Minnesota Yes No No No
Mississippi No No No No
         
Missouri No No No No
Montana Yes No No No
Nebraska Yes No No No
Nevada No No No No
New Hampshire Yes No No Yes 2
         
New Jersey Yes No No No
New Mexico Yes No No No
New York Yes Yes Yes No
North Carolina Yes No No No
North Dakota Yes No No No
         
Ohio No No No No
Oklahoma No No No No
Oregon Yes No No No
Pennsylvania Yes No No No
Rhode Island Yes No No No
         
South Carolina No No No No
South Dakota No No No No
Tennessee Yes No No No
Texas Yes No No No
Utah No No No No
         
Vermont Yes No No No
Virginia Yes No No No
Washington No No Yes No
West Virginia Yes No Yes No
Wisconsin Yes No No Yes
Wyoming Yes No No No
1 National total reflects the number of "Yes" responses for each column.
2 New Hampshire state law indicates that instruction should be exclusively in English, but bilingual education programs are permitted with the approval of the state board of education and the local school district.
SOURCE: Quality Counts 2009: Portrait of a Population, Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, Education Week, 2009. Data Source