Diversity doesn’t simply mean supporting English learners—it also means recognizing the heterogeneity of English learners themselves. English learners are not, after all, a homogeneous group, says Indira Dammu, a researcher and senior analyst with Bellwether Education Partners, a nonprofit that works to improve outcomes for underserved students. “English learners are incredibly diverse in terms of languages spoken and the time they’ve spent in U.S. public schools,” says Dammu, who released co-authored an analysis of how to improve funding for EL students.
The report focuses on EL funding in nine southern states that are home to 710,000 EL students who speak about 400 different languages. Overall, funding is not keeping up with the learning needs of these students, say Dammu and co-author Bonnie O’Keefe. The analysis, which includes a state-by-state data dashboard, sheds light on the resources and policy changes K-12 leaders should be seeking from their states. At the top of the list: revamping funding formulas so they are more heavily weighted toward the needs of ELs.
Florida and South Carolina are the only states in the survey that place a weight on funding districts’ EL populations. But Dammu and Keefe suggest there should be multiple weights that would increase funding for districts with, for example, higher levels of newcomers or ELs with disabilities. English-language proficiency scores could also trigger more funding, she says. “We think it’s the most transparent form of funding and the most equitable,” Dammu says.
3 key equity steps
- State funding formulas should move toward weighted, student-based systems
- The federal government should increase Title III funding
- Transparency of EL data must be improved
The study covered policies in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Another problem the researchers identified is the lack of publicly available—and understandable—data about EL funding, which makes it difficult for educators and advocates to push for better outcomes. In fact, Dammu and O’Keefe say they had to file public records requests to obtain the information for their research. That places some of the responsibility back on district leaders to dig into the details of how their states provide funding for EL initiatives and determine if their students’ needs are being met.
The biggest EL line item for many districts is teachers, particularly multilingual teachers and paraprofessionals. Another significant expense is a specialized curriculum that’s produced in multiple languages. “In a vast majority of places, funding should be higher and more equitably distributed,” O’Keefe says. “I don’t think every state needs to adopt all possible weights, but states need to figure out what the dynamics are among their school districts and the EL populations.”
More from DA: Why 2 districts say moving to equitable grading gives students more hope
