Report California’s English Learner Students By Laura Hill Sep 6, 2012 English Learner (EL) students in California’s schools are numerous and diverse, and they lag behind their native-English-speaking peers. Closing the achievement gap for EL students has been a long-standing goal for California educators, and there are some signs of success. Now that EL funding and curriculum issues are receiving a fresh level of scrutiny from decisionmakers in Sacramento, it is important to assess our understanding of this diverse group, highlight the opportunities to improve policies around demonstrating mastery of English, calibrate funding formulas involving EL students, and implement new curriculum standards thoughtfully.
Report K–12 Reforms and California’s English Learner Achievement Gap By Laura Hill May 30, 2018 English Learner (EL) students have been a key part of California’s K–12 system for decades. They currently make up about 21 percent of the public school population. English Learner status is meant to be temporary, and indeed, reclassified English Learners (those who are deemed English proficient) are among the best-performing students in the state. But students who remain ELs for longer periods generally have poor outcomes.
blog post Remote Learning for English Learners and Special Needs Students during COVID-19 By Niu Gao, Laura Hill Apr 10, 2020 As districts across California roll out distance learning plans, educators must develop alternate methods to effectively serve English Learners and students with special needs.
blog post How Community College Reforms Could Help English Learners By Olga Rodriguez, Bonnie Brooks Oct 3, 2019 Two-thirds of English Learner students are not on track to earn a degree, but new initiatives may create clearer, more accessible pathways for advancement.
Report Surveying the Landscape of California’s English Learner Reclassification Policy By Laura Hill, Andrew Lee, Joseph Hayes Feb 10, 2021 Measuring the progress of English Learners grew more complex after California schools switched to online learning, as some tools to assess students became unavailable. This report shares results from our survey of district policies and offers recommendations for standardizing reclassification criteria.
Report English Learners in California Schools By Christopher Jepsen, Shelley de Alth Apr 7, 2005 Well over a million students who are unfamiliar with the English language attend California’s schools, constituting about one-quarter of the state’s K-12 population. Given that proficiency in English is vital to success not only in academic subjects but also in the workforce, both state and federal policymakers consider English proficiency a major goal for English learner (EL) students. The federal government’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 establishes mandates for improving both the number of students achieving gains in English proficiency and the number who are reclassified as Fluent English Proficient (FEP). This report investigates how effective California schools are in achieving both NCLB goals. The authors examine the determinants of school-level reclassification rates (i.e., the school characteristics that seem to affect the percentage of EL students who are reclassified as FEP), and they also explore the student-level characteristics that appear to affect gains in achievement on an English proficiency test. The study identifies several categories of students who lag behind others in gaining English proficiency, and these distinctions should help policymakers target EL students who are in need of special assistance.
blog post Video: Academic Progress for English Learners By Mary Severance Jan 31, 2019 A new PPIC report looks at the progress of English Learners in grades 6-12 in Los Angeles and San Diego Unified School Districts.
blog post Moving English Learners to English Fluency By Laura Hill, Margaret Weston Apr 9, 2014 School districts across the state have different standards for reclassifying English learners as fluent English speakers. This means that students with the same skills may be reclassified in one district, but not in another.
Report Academic Progress for English Learners: The Role of School Language Environment and Course Placement in Grades 6-12 By Laura Hill, Julian Betts, Megan Hopkins, Magaly Lavadenz ... Jan 23, 2019 English Learners in middle and high school come from a variety of backgrounds and face unique challenges. The school’s language environment and course placement practices are two factors that may affect their academic and linguistic progress.
event Improving Outcomes for English Learners May 31, 2018 Current and former EL students make up a substantial share of California’s K–12 students—38 percent. A wealth of new policies aim to improve educational outcomes for these students, from increased funding to changes in instruction and assessment. PPIC researcher Laura Hill will provide an overview of these reforms, and a panel of state and district experts will discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead for English Learners in California.
