California school data doesn’t paint a full picture of English learners. It’s more like a sketch.
That’s according to a new report by Californians Together, a nonprofit organization that researches and advocates for students who speak a language other than English at home. These students make up about 2.4 million students in the state — 2 out of 5 students.
The report, which is supported by several other partner organizations, says the state’s school accountability tool, the California School Dashboard, makes it too easy for districts to receive high scores for English learners’ progress, because it sets too low a percentage for how many students should be progressing in proficiency each year, and because it lumps students still learning English together with those who have achieved fluency.