How do Bilingual/Multilingual English Learners in Schools fare by State? Take a Look

Claudia is a Full Professor of Education and Chair of…

Today, I was reminded of this report that came out in 2017 by NPR. The report provides a summary of who are multilingual/bilingual English learners in our education system, what kind of programs they received education and how they fare compared to all students in the graduation rates. Here are a few highlights and then please click on the link below to read more.

1 in 10 students across the US and multi-lingual/bilingual English learners (about 5 million students)
Spanish is the most commonly spoken language but students speak hundreds of other languages as well (see map), followed by Chinese, Vietnamese, & Arabic
Most multi-lingual/bilingual learners are born in the US. From Pre-k-5 (85%) and 6th through 12th grade (62%)
The state with the most multi-lingual/bilingual learners in California (29% of the student population) followed by Texas (18%), Florida (5%), and New York (4%)
States with the largest growth of multi-lingual/bilingual learners– Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina
Most multi-lingual/bilingual learners struggle regardless of which state they go because ELL programs provide low expectations for students due to their low quality.
Three main programs are ESL, Transitional Bilingual and Dual Language/Immersion
Outcomes in terms of graduation indicate that in only one state those multi-lingual / bilingual learners outperformed all students– West Virginia. In all other states, there were significant gaps in graduation rates for all multi-lingual / bilingual learner
On average across the US, only 63% of multi-lingual / bilingual English learners graduate from high school as compared to 82% of all other students.
In 2016, 32/50 states reported not having enough teachers for multi-lingual / bilingual English learners
Only 2% of multi-lingual / bilingual English learners are enrolled in all gifted programs compared to 7.3% of the rest of the populations

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/02/23/512451228/5-million-english-language-learners-a-vast-pool-of-talent-at-risk

Claudia Rinaldi, Ph.D.

Claudia is a Full Professor of Education and Chair of the Education Program at Lasell University. Claudia is a researcher, consultant, and teacher educator committed to addressing the needs of bilingual students who are learning English and have a disability.