‘English Learner limbo’ costs California students, taxpayers in money, resources while burdening officials, report finds 

When should public schools consider students English “speaking,” not learning?

As soon as they can demonstrate proficiency – which isn’t what the current system does, argues the Public Policy Institute of California.

“Far too many California students are still categorized as English Learners even when they speak, read and write English proficiently,” the report’s authors concluded, citing “the overly burdensome criteria required to change an English Learner designation” as the culprit.

“That’s not just a problem for schools directing valuable resources to students who don’t really need them. Children who get stuck in English Learner limbo may not be able to access the courses they need for success in high school and college and are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem.”

About 17% of children in K-12 schools, or almost a million, across the Golden State are categorized as English Learners – giving them access to specialized support and instruction, according to the article.

However, districts vary drastically in how they address the process to move English Learners forward to be reclassified.

“Our research found that districts across the state use 24 different tests, as well as observational protocols and grades, to assess readiness to reclassify,” the institute wrote. “The net effect is to create different definitions of who is an English Learner across the state and to restrict access to courses in ways we don’t for our other students.”

‘Making common sense changes’

Researchers suggested three ways for lawmakers to improve the process: simplification, automation and monitoring.

“California should adopt a uniform and singular reclassification assessment in every school district: the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California (ELPAC),” the report argued, noting 33 other states have adopted this approach.

“Students whose English language skills are ‘well developed’ according to the ELPAC should be reclassified – no need for another test or teacher approval.”

Additionally, staff time and mistakes can be avoided by automating the reclassification process, according to researchers.

“Keeping track of the myriad assessments, scores, grades, and other metrics currently required is onerous for districts and can lead to unnecessary delays in reclassification.”

Just this change alone could save districts an estimated 71,000 work hours each year while giving access to higher-level coursework “significantly faster” to students, the report noted.

The final recommendation – monitoring the progress of former English Learner students – can help ensure all children get the support they need.

“Our research shows that students are currently monitored in a hodgepodge of ways, and support for students in need is similarly not uniform,” researchers observed. “Districts could monitor former English Learners by tracking their scores on the statewide Smarter Balanced assessment in English Language Arts, which is already administered annually to all students in grades 3-8 and 11.”

‘Warehouses for young kids’

As previously reported by Heartlander News, enrollment in California’s public schools has been plunging over several years, causing some analysts to predict further challenges for a state already burdened with high housing costs and low academic outcomes.

“California schools are not doing the thing they were supposed to do, which is teach kids,” said Lance Christensen, vice president of government affairs and education policy at the California Policy Center.

“They now have become basically warehouses for young kids – and childcare centers for most families – incidentally teaching academics from time to time.”