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Publication Title:

High School Course-Taking Patterns for English Language Learners: A Case Study from California

Publication
Author(s):

Neal Finkelstein, Min Huang, and Anthony Fong (WestEd)
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[PDF File, 349 Kb]

Alignment with ARRA:

ARRA areas aligning with this product:

  • Data Use
  • Standards/Assessment
  • Turnaround Schools

In addition to the four major priorities of ARRA, other competitive focuses spanning all ARRA education initiatives are meeting the unique needs of English language learners (ELLs) and promoting college- and career-readiness for high school students. This brief presents findings that highlight a major gap in academic preparation between high school and college for ELLs

For more details, please view the ARRA resources on our ARRA Web page.

Publication Key Points:

This research brief examines the course-taking patterns of ELLs by using the transcript data from 54 high schools in California. Alarming findings from the brief state that approximately 8% of ELLs in the study sample who finished high school had taken the required courses to be minimally eligible to attend the California State University system.

Publication Key Challenges:

The research findings presented in this brief illustrate an urgent need to improve ELLs' access to rigorous college-preparatory curricula that are aligned with postsecondary entrance requirements. Furthermore, to improve long-term educational outcomes for ELLs, attention must be paid to these students' progress in both language and academic proficiency before they reach high school.

How Audience(s) Can Use This Product to Address Challenges:

 This brief provides data on ELLs' course-taking patterns in California high schools, revealing serious gaps in access and alignment between secondary and postsecondary institutions. Some suggested uses for this product are:
  • Distribute to state and district Offices of English Language Acquisition;
  • Share with local chapters of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL);
  • Use to facilitate a discussion in partnership meetings between school districts and local institutions of higher education;
  • Use to inform the development of a PowerPoint presentation on using data to drive instructional decision-making; and
  • Link in e-blast to districts from the state, etc.

Production Citation:

Finkelstein, N., Huang, M., & Fong, A. (2009, April). High school course-taking patterns for English language learners: A case study from California. Washington, DC: National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research.

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