State School Funding Policies and Limited English Proficient Students

Abstract

This article presents an overview of state funding policies for serving Limited English Proficient (LEP) students and analysis of aid allocation practices across the states using data from the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data. The major finding of this study is that state efforts to help local districts are often poorly conceived and/or applied, and often inadequate. We conclude with three policy recommendations for enhancing the present knowledge base, including the need for (a) expanded national, state, and local awareness of policies and practices across the states regarding limited English proficient (LEP) children, and improved monitoring of the effectiveness of those policies and practices toward achieving specific objectives; (b) empirically derived cost estimates of opportunities for LEP children; and (c) a set of frameworks for developing and adapting funding policies to various state contexts aimed toward achieving the goal of adequate services for LEP children.