Fifty Definitions of English Learner - A Proposed Solution to Inconsistent State-by-State Systems in the United States for Classifying Students Who Speak English as a Second Language

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca

Although nearly one in 10 U.S. students is an English Learner (EL), the definition of EL, assessment approaches, and the duration of the label vary widely across states. As EL populations expand nationally, reliable, evidence-based identification and support for English language proficiency become urgent for both experienced and unfamiliar school systems. The article reviews decentralized identification and reclassification practices and proposes a new EL definition to resolve current inconsistencies and include EL students often excluded by state-level criteria.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Fifty Definitions of English Learner

Governmental Efforts to Identify, Classify, and Reclassify ELs

Federal Efforts

Educational Considerations | Volume 48 Number 1 | Article 5 | | --- | --- | | March 2022
Fifty Definitions of English Learner: A Proposed Solution to Inconsistent State-by-State Systems in the United States for Classifying Students Who Speak English as a Second Language
Rolf Straubhaar
Texas State University-San Marcos, [straubhaar@txstate.edu](straubhaar@txstate.edu)
Pedro R. Portes
University of Georgia, [portes@uga.edu](portes@uga.edu)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://newprairiepress.org/edconsiderations](https://newprairiepress.org/edconsiderations)
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. | | Recommended Citation Straubhaar, Rolf and Portes, Pedro R. (2022) "Fifty Definitions of English Learner: A Proposed Solution to Inconsistent State-by-State Systems in the United States for Classifying Students Who Speak English as a Second Language," Educational Considerations: Vol. 48: No. 1. [https://doi.org/10.4148/0146-9282.2328](https://doi.org/10.4148/0146-9282.2328) [This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in](This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in)[ ](This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in)[Educational Considerations by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. For more information](Educational Considerations by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. For more information), please [contact](contact cads@k-state.edu)[ cads@k-state.edu](contact cads@k-state.edu). Fifty Definitions of English Learner: A Proposed Solution to Inconsistent State-by-State Systems in the United States for Classifying Students Who Speak English as a Second Language Rolf Straubhaar and Pedro R. Portes Abstract: Although nearly one in 10 U.S. students is an English Learner (or EL), the definition of the term EL varies considerably from state to state, as does the means of assessing English language proficiency and the period of time for which the label is applied to individual students. As EL populations are growing throughout the U.S., both in school systems familiar with teaching ELs and in systems that do not have such experience, it is urgent that the methods by which this population is identified and by which its needs are met in acquiring English language proficiency are backed up by evidence and, ideally, standardized at the national level. In this article, after reviewing the current decentralized climate of EL identification, classification and reclassification, we propose a new definition of English Learner that both resolves inconsistencies in current state-level practices and would include many practicing ELs who are often excluded from current state-level definitions. Key words: English learner, education policy, student assessment According to the National Center for Education Statistics, students whose first language is not English, or those who are typically classified as English Language Learners (ELLs) or English Learners (ELs), represent 9.1 percent of the U.S. student population (National Center for Education Statistics, 2014) . 77.2 percent of those ELLs are Spanish speakers, predominantly from Latin America (National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, 2010) . However, despite the fact that nearly one in 10 U.S. students is an EL, how the term EL is defined, how ELs are assessed for English language proficiency, and how long the term EL applies to a particular student, is still open to considerable interpretation with defin

FAQs

How does the definition of English Learner vary in the United States?

The term “English Learner (EL)” is defined differently across states, and states also differ in how they assess English proficiency and how long the label remains applied to students.

Why do the authors argue that a standardized national definition is urgent?

Because EL populations are growing, inconsistent identification and classification can lead to unfair or inadequate support; standardization would help students encounter consistent standards when moving between states.

What solution does the article propose?

After reviewing current decentralized EL identification, classification, and reclassification, the article proposes a new EL definition that resolves longstanding state-level inconsistencies and better reflects the breadth and diversity of EL students.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca