Moving Toward a More Common Definition of English Learner: Collected Guidance for States and Multi-State Assessment Consortia

English Learners (ELs)—language-minority students whose English proficiency affects their ability to meaningfully participate and succeed in school—are expected to reach 25% of the total U.S. K-12 public school population by the year 2025. Yet, how states and school districts define this population varies widely, creating inconsistent and possibly inequitable services for students who move across state or even district boundaries. States participating in any of four federally-funded assessment consortia (i.e., PARCC, Smarter Balanced, WIDA, and ELPA21)1 have agreed to a U.S. Department of Education stipulation to establish a “common definition of English Learner” within their consortia. Fulfilling this common definition requirement is neither simple nor straightforward because individual states vary in their policies, tools, and practices for determining which students are ELs, what specialized services they receive, and what criteria and processes are used to exit them from this status. Additionally, federal and state statutes, case law, and regulations influence requirements for K–12 public school educators. These requirements call for a carefully coordinated, multiyear effort within and across consortia member states. Such an effort needs to proceed in stages and encompass several critical decisions informed by student performance outcomes on new assessments.


You May Also Be Interested In ...