March 2008

16 pages

PDF Download Free Download Receive by Mail $5 x (Qty) Add to Cart (Print)

Of California's 6.3 million public school students in 2006-07, 1.6 million (25%) were considered English learners (EL). Although the vast majority of ELs in the state are Spanish-speaking, more than 50 languages are represented in the state's EL population. English learners are distributed throughout the state and across grade levels, with the highest concentration of EL students in the lowest grade levels. 

EdSource's new report, English Learners in California: What the Numbers Say, describes the state's English learners, their primary languages, what grades they are in, and where they live. The report also describes the process by which students are designated as English learners, the CELDT test used to measure English proficiency, and how they are reclassified as fluent English proficient (RFEP). It also discusses variations in English proficiency, differing reclassification rates from district to district, and how these students are meeting the state's rigorous academic standards.

EdSource thanks the S. H. Cowell Foundation for helping to support the research, production, and dissemination of this report.