Over the past seven years, California has made strides in reshaping its education system for English learners (ELs) by moving away from outdated English-only mandates and promoting a multilingual vision. However, despite this progress, the state has yet to fully invest in bilingual education to make this vision a reality for the 1.1 million EL students across its schools.
Nearly 40% of California’s K-12 students speak a language other than English at home, yet only 8.4% of ELs are enrolled in dual-language programs. While policies like Proposition 58 and the Seal of Biliteracy have laid the groundwork for multilingual instruction, there remains a significant gap in access to these programs.
The key to closing this gap is a stronger investment in bilingual teacher training. California must prioritize flexible pathways to credential more bilingual educators, particularly in its growing Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs. Without sufficient bilingual teachers, expanding dual-language immersion programs will be challenging.
As California pushes towards its ambitious goals, like those set by Global California 2030, the state needs to back its policies with real resources. More funding, systemic reforms, and accountability are essential to make bilingual education a reality for all English learners in the state.
This post is based on the article "Moving from Vision to Reality: Establishing California as a National Bilingual Education and Dual-Language Immersion Leader" by Conor P. Williams and Jonathan Zabala, published on October 25, 2023.
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(Source: Williams, C.P. & Zabala, J. (2023). Moving from Vision to Reality: Establishing California as a National Bilingual Education and Dual-Language Immersion Leader. The Century Foundation.)