A new California law requires that the state define and identify "long-term English learners," the first such effort in the nation, reports Teresa Watanabe in The L.A. Times. California has identified 350,000 students in grades six through 12 who have attended its schools for seven years or more yet are still not fluent in English. Three-fourths of all secondary school students learning English fall in this category. Ninety thousand have been classified after failing to progress on the state's English proficiency exam for two consecutive years and scoring below grade level in English standardized tests. The new focus comes amid a shift in California's long-running language wars. Since Proposition 227, which prohibits bilingual classes, a counter-movement has grown. State Sen. Ricardo Lara has successfully placed a measure to repeal Prop 227on the 2016 ballot. In LAUSD, a third of its 600,000 students are learning English, and over 35,000 are short of grade level after five years. The district overhauled services to comply with a 2011 settlement with the U.S. Education Department's civil rights division. Among other things, LAUSD has developed new classes aimed at strengthening language skills for students, and has improved teacher training. In addition, the district now requires teachers to develop relationships with parents, informing them of progress. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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