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Californians Together

Championing the Success of English Learners

Press Releases

Study of New School Accountability Plans Shows Districts Not Focused on Needs of English Learners

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Report on 1st Year of LCAP Calls for Stronger State Guidance, More Local Commitment to Research-based Approaches and Stronger Engagement With EL Families & Communities

 A new report that reviewed the Local Control Accountability Plans of 29 key school districts throughout the state, and the impact those LCAPs are having on English Learner students, was released today by Californians Together.

The report, titled “Falling Short on the Promise to English Learners, A New Report on Year One District Local Control Accountability Plans,” found that LCAPs tend to be characterized by woefully inadequate specificity and weak attention to how schools are meeting the various needs of English Learners.

Two California School Districts are Honored with the Prestigious Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy Award

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San Diego – Ventura Unified School District and Chula Vista Elementary School District have been selected as recipients of the 2015 Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy District Recognition Award. The Californians Together award celebrates districts that are leading the way to world-class language education in preschool through 12th grade. [Read more…] about Two California School Districts are Honored with the Prestigious Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy Award

California is the First State in the Nation to Define and Identify English Learners who After Many Years are Struggling to Succeed

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Sacramento:  Three out of four (74%) English Learner students in grades 6 -12 have been in California schools for 7 years or more and are still without the English skills they need to succeed academically.  Because this is longer than it should take to attain English proficiency, they are called “Long Term English Learners” (LTELs).  The numbers compiled by the California Department of Education for the first time by any state in the nation, is part of an effort to ensure these students get the educational support they need.   [Read more…] about California is the First State in the Nation to Define and Identify English Learners who After Many Years are Struggling to Succeed

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Reports Jump in Number of Students Earning Seal of Biliteracy

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Nearly 25,000 graduating high school students across California this summer have earned state recognition for achieving proficiency in multiple languages, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.

“Fluency in more than one language has always been an admirable skill, but it’s increasingly becoming one that’s highly sought after by employers,” Torlakson said. “In California, we encourage and recognize this accomplishment because it’s one more tool students have to help them succeed outside our classrooms.”

In the Class of 2014, 24,513 students earned these gold seals. In 2013, the number was 19,000. In 2012—the first year of the program—about 10,000 students received this special recognition.

Of the total number of gold seals, 74.49 percent were for Spanish, 9.81 percent for French, 3.88 percent for Mandarin, 1.97 percent for Japanese, 1.19 percent for German, and 0.29 percent for Cantonese. Altogether, students earned the seal for demonstrating proficiency in some 40 languages, including American Sign Language.

To qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy, high school graduates must meet certain criteria, including:

  • Completion of all English language arts requirements for graduation with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or above in those classes;
  • Passing the California Standards Test in English language arts administered in grade eleven at the “proficient” level;
  • Proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English, demonstrated by passing a foreign language Advanced Placement examination with a score of three or higher or an International Baccalaureate examination with a score of four or higher; or
  • Successful completion of a four-year high school course of study in a world language and attainment of an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above in that course of study.

For more information on which local educational agencies participated in the program and how many Seals of Biliteracy were awarded, visit the California Department of Education’s State Seal of Biliteracy – Resources Web page.

Critical Choices in Post-Recession California: Investing in the Educational and Career Success for Immigrant Youth

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This report examines the educational experiences and outcomes of first and second-generation immigrant youth ages 16 to 26 across California’s educational institutions, encompassing secondary schools, adult education, and postsecondary education. ELLs are a central focus of the analysis at all levels [Read more…] about Critical Choices in Post-Recession California: Investing in the Educational and Career Success for Immigrant Youth