부산대학교 도서관

Most English Learners (ELs)care reclassified as English proficient well before graduating from high school based on meeting multiple district-identified proficiency standards, an important achievement on the path to college access, completion, and success in the labor market. Many former ELs also meet separate benchmarks indicating readiness for success in postsecondary English coursework. However, misalignment between the K-12 and postsecondary sectors may undermine college-ready students' academic achievements. Less is known about misalignment in English, including how misalignment shapes the academic trajectories of college-ready former English Learners. This brief summarizes results from a study focusing on English Learner classification, home language, race, and ethnicity, in California. As home to the largest population of English Learners and a center of debate over the education of multilingual students, California is a critical site for understanding the links between English Learners' K-12 and postsecondary opportunities. ELs in the state, like the rest of the nation, are concentrated in large, urban, public school districts. Former EL students disproportionately enter community colleges which have historically started most students in developmental courses. However, recent policy developments including AB 705, have sought to create a more direct pathway to college-level coursework for the majority of students. This policy brief provides some indication of the breadth of college-ready students who have the potential to benefit from these policy goals. [For the full version of this paper, "Lost in the Transition: The Cost of College-Readiness English Standards Misalignment for Students Initially Classified as English Learners," see EJ1302945.]