California Will Start Disaggregating English Learner Academic Data

On September 30, 2022 Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1868 (Rivas) into law which means the picture of English learner (EL) performance in California is about to become much clearer. Starting in 2023, the California Department of Education (CDE) will be required to report disaggregated standardized test scores in English language arts, math, and science for different subgroups of ELs, including long-term English learners (LTELs), those at risk of becoming long-term English learners, current ELs, and ELs that have been reclassified. The bill would also require the department to report how many English learners have been dual-identified as having a disability.

English learners come from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and at any given time, the EL subgroup includes students who speak different languages, have varying levels of proficiency in English as well as their home language, and have had different experiences with formal education. In addition to this, nearly 15 percent of ELs also qualify for special education services. AB 1868 rectified a long-standing issue present in most data collection systems which tend to perpetuate a heterogenous view of English learners.

In California alone, there are over 1 million currently identified ELs whose top five languages are Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Filipino. Among these students, 200,000 of are considered LTELs, which California defines as ELs who are enrolled in grades 6 to 12, have been enrolled in U.S. schools for more than six years, have remained at the same English language proficiency (ELP) level for two or more consecutive years, and who score far below basic or below basic on the ELA assessment. In addition to these students, another 130,000 ELs are considered at-risk of becoming LTELs. Furthermore, the state educates a broad group of newcomer students that includes Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE/SLIFE), Asylees, Refugees, Unaccompanied Minors or Youth, Unaccompanied Children, and more.

These differences, and the educational needs linked to them, are often not reflected in data that is collected and reported by state and local education agencies. Historically, EL data has been aggregated–that is, it is all combined to create a single data point to represent EL student performance. This practice creates a one-dimensional way of looking at the multidimensional educational needs of these students and creates a barrier to our ability to adequately serve them.

Our team has long called attention to the need for more clarity in EL data to ensure the heterogeneity of these students is reflected in our data and accountability systems. For example, data collection systems should be adaptive to the fact that the EL subgroup is not static, ELs at different stages progress at different rates, and English skills impact academic performance, to name a few considerations. And in 2021, our Federal Policy Agenda for English Learners called on the federal government to improve transparency and accountability for the heterogeneity of EL subgroup by requiring states to disaggregate the EL group to account for students with intersectional identities, including those with disabilities, SLIFE, recently arrived ELs/newcomers, and long-term ELs.

Although the bill stops short of requiring this data be used for accountability, it still represents a positive step forward in ensuring our data systems reflect the different learning trajectories and needs for these students.

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