Language Development Policies and Practices Impacting the College and Career Readiness of Long-Term English Learners (LTELs) in Secondary Schools - case study

Oct 15, 2026

Programs and policies for long-term English learners (LTELs) at the secondary level often assume English fluency alone drives academic success and college and career readiness. This case study examines whether LTEL students can access Linked Learning/California Partnership Academy pathways aligned to Common Core college and career readiness goals. Results show that conflicting language development policies at district and site levels hinder access to programs building required college-and-career readiness skills, affecting equity and opportunity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Purpose and Research Focus

Policy Context: ESSA and CCSS

Student Engagement and Measurement

Language Development Policies and Practices Impacting the College and Career Readiness of Long-Term English Learners (LTELs) in Secondary Schools Cecilia Mendoza California State University, Fresno Abstract Programs and policies related to the education of long-term English learners (LTELs) at the secondary level are often based on the belief that fluency in English is the primary, if not the sole, requirement for academic success and college and career readiness. This case study investigates whether LTEL students are accessing Linked Learning/California Partnership Academy pathways to achieve the goals of the Common Core State Standards of college and career readiness. Results indicate that conflicting language development policies at the district and site level impede access to programs that offer college and career readiness skills. Keywords: long-term English language learners, English language proficiency policies, student engagement, college and career readiness, equity and access, Linked Learning/California Partnership Academy Educational leaders’knowledge of their clients is the foundational starting point in making educational decisions that ensure equity and access for all students, especially for long-term English learners (LTELs) at the middle and high school level. Understanding who LTELs are, where they go to school, and whether they are accessing college preparation programs for college and career readiness is the focus of this research. The largest and fastest growing K-12 student population group in the United States is the Latino-origin student (McFarland et al., 2017). California reported the highest percentage of English language learners (ELLs) among its public school students, at 22.4%(McFarland et al., 2017; Sugarman & Lee, 2017) . According to data collected by the California Department of Education for the 2015-2016 school year, Spanish was the most commonly spoken home language ofELLs, making up 85% of the state’s ELL student population (California Department of Education, 2016) . Additionally, California defines LTELs as those students who have been in school for six or more years and who are not progressing toward English proficiency. Of the 22% of the California student population who are ELLs, 63% are LTELs (Olsen, 2010; Sugarman & Lee, 2017) and are in grades 6-12 in secondary school. LTELs in secondary schools have the added dimension of ethnic and lingual diversity, which presents challenges in accessing college and career academy programs due to language acquisition needs. The primary aim of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is to ensure that all students are college and career ready by the end of secondary school. However, LTELs are not able to access programs that build upon the 21stcentury skills of college and career readiness due to conflicting language policies and practices. This case study investigates whether LTELs are accessing Linked Learning/California Partnership Academy (LL/CPA) pathways to achieve the CCSS goals of being college and career ready students prepared to advance to a postsecondary college experience. The initial stages of implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) created a shift from the punitive accountability mandates of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to a devolution process that put states incharge of creating and managing the new federal accountability mandates. The ESSA represents a new paradigm shift from federal to local control, which provides flexibility in developing local accountability measures, thus resulting in the decentralization of accountability of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to the state and local levels with regard to educational decision-making. Political culture impacts how programs are designed to meet the outcomes of the CCSS and the underlying foundation of the CCSS are the college and career readiness anchor standards, which align curriculum with college and career goals (Common Core State S

FAQs

What assumption about LTELs underlies many secondary education programs?

Many programs and policies assume that English fluency is the primary, if not the sole, requirement for academic success and college and career readiness.

What does the case study investigate regarding LTELs?

It investigates whether LTEL students access Linked Learning/California Partnership Academy pathways to meet Common Core State Standards goals for college and career readiness.

How do language development policies affect program access for LTELs?

Conflicting language development policies across district and site levels impede LTELs’ access to programs that develop college-and-career readiness skills.

Oct 15, 2026

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