Adapting to Changes in California’s English Learner Population

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 3:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Dual Language Programmatic Planning and Design

Abstract

This study highlights the enrollment and reclassification trends among California’s English Learner (EL) population since 2015. The EL population has declined by 15% over the last decade while its composition has also been shifting. At the same time, statewide reclassification rates have rebounded after the pandemic, but the share of reclassified English learners still lags for students in early grades. Despite these declines, California has set goals to increase students’ biliteracy rates by 2030, which has grown the demand for bilingual school programs. We draw on interviews with school districts to understand the implications of these EL changes, ongoing policies that affect ELs, and how districts are responding to shifting enrollment and policy changes.

Authors

• Laura Hill, Public Policy Institute of California

• Beyond Jonathan Deng, Public Policy Institute of California