Examining the English Learner Policy Ecology: How Educators Navigated the Provision of Designated English Language Development (ELD) Support at the Secondary Level

ABSTRACT

Under federal civil rights law, U.S. school districts have a dual obligation to provide students identified as English learners (ELs) with designated English-language development (ELD) instruction and integrated ELD support during core content instruction. Drawing on an analysis of interviews with 96 educators in two large California districts, we use an ecological approach to explore how district and school staff navigated the provision of designated ELD at the secondary level. Findings revealed that state and school structures shaped district culture in ways that deemphasized designated ELD for ELs across proficiency levels. Rather than emphasizing integrated ELD approaches that foster language development through content, however, these structural and cultural dynamics meant that many ELs received few, if any, linguistic supports. Although federal oversight and leaders’ agency helped to shift this trend and support ELs’ access to ELD, the primary mode of delivery was through required ELD courses, which research shows can preclude ELs’ access to core content. These findings have important implications for policymakers and leaders seeking to ensure that all ELs have equitable access to language and content instruction.

Acknowledgments

We are immensely grateful to the school districts and educators who participated in this study. We would also like to acknowledge the many collaborators on this project, who contributed in many ways to the work, from leading the study design to engaging in data collection and analysis to providing insightful feedback. These include Julian Betts, Mariko Cavey, Leslie Gautsch, Nidia Hernandez, Laura Hill, and Kathryn E. Wiley. The study would not have been possible without the generous support of the William T. Grant Foundation. The ideas presented in this paper are those of the authors and do not represent the funder in any way.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Megan Hopkins

Megan Hopkins is an associate professor in the Department of Education Studies at the University of California, San Diego. A former bilingual teacher, her research examines the implementation of civil rights law for multilingual learners, and whether and how state and local policies and practices enable or constrain equity for multilingual students in K-12 public schools.

Hayley Weddle

Hayley Weddle is an assistant professor of education policy at the University of Pittsburgh and previously served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego. Her research examines the equity implications of policy implementation across state and local levels.

Magaly Lavadenz

Magaly Lavadenz is Distinguished Professor and founding Executive Director of the Center for Equity for English Learners in the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University. Her research addresses the intersections and impact of policies and practices for culturally and linguistically diverse students, their teachers and school leaders. Among her publications is the book Latino Civil Rights in Education: La Lucha Sigue, co-edited with Anaida Colón Muñiz (2016).

Marco A. Murillo

Marco A. Murillo is an assistant professor of education in the School of Education and Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University. His research critically examines the educational trajectories of minoritized students, focusing on college preparation and completion.

Tara Vahdani

Tara Vahdani is an adviser to a member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education. In this role, she works closely with school and District leaders to strengthen relationships with families and the broader community. Previously, she served as a research associate at Loyola Marymount University’s Center for Equity for English Learners.