This document is an extension of "Resource Needs for California's English Learners" and is the result of deliberations from several informal meetings and two formal meetings of major stakeholders in the area of English Learner (EL) education. Its intent is to suggest a series of policy options, based on data examined in the initial…

Background/Context: According to U.S. Census figures, 11 million elementary and secondary students of immigrant families were enrolled in the public schools in October 2005, representing 20% of all students, and this figure is expected to grow in the coming years. Most of these students enter school as English learners (ELs), and most ELs have…

This article explores the components of an "adequate" education for linguistic minority students in California and attempts to distinguish these from the components of an adequate education for low-income students who are native English speakers. About 1.6 million students were classified as English learners (ELs) in California in 2006.…

This paper examines the amount and type of resources that linguistic minority students--those students who come from households where a language other than English is spoken--need to meet the same challenging standards and to have the opportunity to achieve the same educational outcomes as other students. In this paper we first describe the nature…

In 1998, California passed Proposition 227, which severely restricted the use of primary language for instructing English learners, calling for a 1-year transitional program of structured English immersion. Researchers examined the effects of Proposition 227 in districts and schools statewide during the first year of implementation. Data from…

An increasing number of students entering California's schools come from non-English speaking backgrounds. Although some of these language minority students enter school already proficient in English, the majority do not. These students are now referred to as English learners. There are several reasons why Californians need to pay careful…

This report was written at the request of the Latino caucus of the California State Legislature and was completed as the debate surrounding Proposition 227--a measure requiring a substantial cutback in special services to limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in California public schools--was getting underway. The impetus for the report was to…