Closing the Achievement Gap

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) in collaboration with the San Diego Education Research Alliance (SanDERA) at the University of California, San Diego, and the Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) at Loyola Marymount University have partnered to study English Learner (EL) students in the Los Angeles and San Diego Unified School Districts. This mixed methods study is funded by the William T. Grant Foundation and examines the course placement trajectories and reclassification processes of Late Arrival English Learners (LAEL) and Long-term English Learner (LTEL) students. The primary goal of the study is to understand how EL policies (e.g., course placement and reclassification) are implemented by schools across both districts and the aspects of the academic environment that influence EL academic outcomes.