English Language Learners: A Growing Population

English language learners represent the fastest growing segment of the school-age population (National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, 2002). Between 1979 and 2003, the overall number of school-age children aged 5–17 increased by 19 percent. During this same time period, the number of children who spoke a language other than English at home and who spoke English with difficulty (i.e., those who spoke English less than “very well,” and who are thus considered “English language learners”) grew by 124 percent (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005a). Projections suggest that “language minority students” (those who speak a language other than English at home and who have varying levels of proficiency in English) will comprise over 40 percent of elementary and secondary students by 2030 (Thomas & Collier, 2001). Five states — California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois — currently account for 68 percent of ELL elementary school students (Capps, Fix, Murray, Ost, Passel, & Herwantoro, 2005). Recently, however, many ELL students and their families have begun to move to regions of the country that have not traditionally seen immigrant populations, principally in the heartland of the United States. This policy brief discusses the challenges and opportunities posed by this growth in this region and examines whether teachers are adequately equipped to instruct this emerging group of students. The brief also offers practical guidance for districts that are experiencing growth in the number of English language learners in their schools.