event Academic Progress for English Learners Jan 24, 2019 Many of California’s K–12 students are English Learners—some have been in US schools since kindergarten, while others are new to US schools and may be refugees or unaccompanied minors. Researchers Laura Hill and Megan Hopkins will outline findings from a new report that looks at academic progress among different kinds of English Learners and the factors associated with their successes and struggles.
Report California’s Commitment to Adult English Learners: Caught Between Funding and Need By Arturo Gonzalez Apr 12, 2007 This report examines the discrepancy between California’s goal of providing free English classes and the reality that the current funding system for providing classes is about 30 years out of date. During those 30 years, the state’s immigrant population has exploded. The gap between goal and reality has created an excessive financial burden on some local school districts—which provide most of the state’s English as a Second Language (ESL) classes—and may be forcing other districts to turn away immigrants who want to learn English.
blog post Helping English Learners Succeed By David Lesher May 12, 2014 At a recent event, PPIC researchers Laura Hill and Julian Betts addressed the way English Learners are reclassified as proficient in English in California. It is the focus of their latest report.
blog post English Learners and the New State Tests By Laura Hill, Iwunze Ugo Apr 26, 2016 The timing is right to reassess the policy for reclassifying English Learners as proficient in English.
blog post Video: Improving Outcomes for English Learners By Mary Severance Jun 5, 2018 Recent K‒12 reforms change how California funds, assesses, and holds districts accountable for English Learner students, currently about 21% of the public school population.
press release English Learners Reclassified as Proficient in Elementary School Are Top Academic Performers May 6, 2014
blog post Learning Recovery Is Uneven for Urban and Rural School Districts By Saayili Budhiraja, Thomas Pearson, Emmanuel Prunty, Niu Gao Feb 14, 2024 Half of California's K–12 students are enrolled in urban or rural districts. Compared to the rest of the state, these districts have seen a slower pace of recovery from pandemic learning loss.
Report Community College English in California’s New Era of Student Access By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez Aug 15, 2022 Major assessment and placement reforms at the state's community colleges have all but eliminated remedial prerequisites. As a result, students are much more likely to complete college composition—the “gateway” transfer-level English course. However, more work is needed to address persistent racial equity gaps and pandemic challenges.
blog post Learning Recovery for Homeless Students Lags behind Other High-Need Groups By Brett Guinan, Julien Lafortune Mar 13, 2024 In the last in a series on K–12 students who have experienced homelessness, we look at how these youth are faring academically. While learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic affected all student groups, students experiencing homeless are falling behind other high-need learners as California emerges from the pandemic.
Report Reclassification of English Learner Students in California By Laura Hill, Joseph Hayes, Margaret Weston Jan 21, 2014 California’s English Learner students lag behind their native English speaking peers. But students who are reclassified as English proficient sometimes outperform even native speakers. Should more English Learners be reclassified, and more quickly? As policymakers consider this question, they need to understand the relationship between reclassification policies and student outcomes.
