New education law puts more pressure on states to serve English learners
Delia Pompa
The Every Student Succeeds Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law last month, includes important policies that recognize the needs and diversity of English learners in an effort to close the ongoing achievement gap between them and other students. The bill, which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also crucially maintains accountability for improving academic achievement of English learners – a hallmark of the last reauthorization, known as the No Child Left Behind Act.
Given the new law’s overall thrust of reducing federal authority in education, however, ensuring that the needs of English learners are met will be complicated by the fact that education agencies in 50 states and the District of Columbia will be interpreting the new mandates and perhaps implementing them differently.
The law has many strengths with respect to the nation’s approximately 5 million English learners in K-12 classrooms. The most far-reaching change requires that states include English language proficiency in their accountability frameworks under Title I, the provision that governs accountability for all low-income students.
Previously, accountability for growth in language proficiency was not included in general accountability provisions. With this change, how well English learners do on language proficiency assessments has greater consequences than ever before. Now, states must set their own goals for achievement on English proficiency assessments as well as for achievement on statewide math and language arts assessments. Together, results from these three assessments will be included along with at least one other academic indicator chosen by the state to count more than other indicators in statewide accountability systems. The change gives English learners a higher profile in accountability systems and reflects their growing importance in overall student achievement because of their increasing numbers.
Placing English learners in the law’s primary achievement and accountability framework will be of particular importance for California and other states and districts with the largest concentrations of English learner students. Of California’s approximately 6 million K-12 students, one in four is classified as an English learner, a far higher proportion than any other state.
In another significant change, states are now required to have a standardized process for classifying students as English learners, as well as a standardized process for how English learners exit special services (or how they are reclassified as English proficient). Up to now, many states have had a hodgepodge of English learner entry and exit criteria across districts, resulting in inconsistent assessment of needs and provision of services for students. Under the new New education law puts more pressure on states to serve English learners | EdSource:
