Long-Term English Learner (LTEL) Students
An overview of the LTEL definitions used for data reporting.Reporting of Data
The California Department of Education (CDE) annually publishes data on Long-Term English Learner (LTEL) students through several reports, such as DataQuest, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), and the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC). With the passage of Senate Bill 141
in 2023, the CDE began reporting LTEL students as a new student group effective with the 2024 California School Dashboard (Dashboard)
.
An LTEL student is generally defined as an English learner (EL) student who has not achieved English language proficiency within a specified number of years and has not yet been reclassified as fluent English proficient (RFEP). As a result, LTEL students are a subset within the larger population of EL students.
The California Education Code (EC) identifies two distinct definitions of LTEL students, both of which are used for reporting LTEL data for different purposes. To clarify these differences, this web page outlines the definitions applied to the applicable reports, details the start and end dates used to determine the number of years that a student is an EL, and provides links to resources that contain comprehensive and technical information. This web page does not cover all the technical aspects of how a student is identified as an LTEL for each report. The links in the Resources section provides users directions on how to access additional technical information.
LTEL Student Counts
As detailed throughout this page, due to the two distinct LTEL definitions, the count of LTEL students will differ across the various reports that display LTEL data. The two definitions encompass different grade levels, which, combined with the varying grade spans covered by each Dashboard indicator, contributes to the differences as noted below:
- For DataQuest, only students enrolled in grades six through twelve are included.
- For the Dashboard, the counts will vary for each Dashboard indicator because it covers varying grade spans. For example, the Suspension Rate Indicator displays LTEL students in TK through grade twelve. The Graduation Rate and the College/Career Indicators focus on students within a cohort. Conversely, the Chronic Absenteeism Indicator accounts for students in TK through grade eight. Furthermore, the Academic and English Learner Progress Indicators reflect LTEL students who participated in the assessments during the academic year.
Definitions of LTEL
Table 1 below presents the definition applied to determine when an EL student is identified as an LTEL for the Dashboard, DataQuest, and assessments, as well as the relevant California EC sections that identify the definitions.
Table 1
| Report | Long-Term English Learner Definition | California Education Code Section |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard | An EL student who has not attained English language proficiency within seven years of initial classification | EC Section 52052
|
| DataQuest, CAASPP, and ELPAC | An EL student who meets all of the following:
|
EC Section 313.1
|
It is important to note that while the same LTEL definition is used for both DataQuest and CAASPP/ELPAC, the LTEL data may not match because students identified as LTEL as of Census Day for DataQuest may have moved or no longer be enrolled at the time of CAASPP/ELPAC testing. Additionally, because the LTEL definition for the Dashboard differs from the one used for DataQuest and CAASPP/ELPAC, the LTEL counts will also not align between the Dashboard, DataQuest, and CAASPP/ELPAC. For this reason, along with the definitional differences between the DataQuest and CAASPP/ELPAC LTEL determinations and the Dashboard LTEL determinations, local educational agencies (LEAs) should rely on the DataQuest LTEL data they receive from the CDE as a proxy for the LTELs that will be used in the Dashboard. Table 2 below presents an example to further illustrate these differences.
Table 2
| School Example | Number of LTEL Students for DataQuest | Number of LTEL Students for CAASPP/ELPAC | Number of LTEL Students for Dashboard |
|---|---|---|---|
| School A | 50 students
Per application of EC Section 313.1, fifty students are identified as LTEL. |
45 students
Per application of EC Section 313.1, fifty students are identified as LTEL, which are the same fifty students identified for DataQuest. However, after application of the testing business rules, five students are removed because these students were not enrolled at School A during the testing window. |
63 students
Per application of EC Section 52052, sixty-three students are identified as LTEL. This count is different from DataQuest and CAASPP/ELPAC because the applied definition resulted in a different identification and count of LTEL students. |
Start and End Dates Used to Determine How Long a Student is an English Learner
As mentioned earlier, the number of years that a student is an EL before becoming a LTEL differs. For the Dashboard, per California EC Section 52052, the student must be an EL for seven years since initial classification. For DataQuest, CAASPP, and ELPAC reporting, per California EC Section 313.1, the student must be an EL for six or more years as of Census Day. The EC Section 313.1 also requires other criteria that the EL student must meet in order to become an LTEL.
The following sections identify the methodology that is applied to determine which start and end dates are used to measure how long a student has been an EL.
Start Date
The following two fields in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) are used to establish the start of when a student becomes an EL:
-
Student Initial US School Enrollment Date K–12 from the Student Information (SINF) file, field 2.36. This field is used first unless the English Language Acquisition Status (ELAS) Start Date noted below is earlier.
-
ELAS Start Date from the Student English Language Acquisition (SELA) file, field 12.14.
Table 3 contains examples of the application of these fields.
Table 3
| EL Student | ELAS Start Date | Student Initial US Enrollment Date in K–12 | Date Used to Establish the Start of When the Student Becomes an EL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student A | 8/29/2016 |
8/3/2015 | Because the 8/3/2015 Student Initial US Enrollment Date in K-12 is earlier, this date is used as the start date. |
| Student B | 8/6/2017 | 8/29/2018 | Because the 8/6/2017 ELAS Start Date is earlier, this date is used as the start date. |
End Date
To ascertain how long a student has been an EL, an end date must be established. Therefore:
-
For DataQuest and CAASPP/ELPAC, the end date is Census Day to determine if the time exceeds six year, OR
-
For the Dashboard, the end date is exactly seven years from the applicable start date.
Which reports apply the above start and end date methodology?
The following four reports use the start and end date methodology:
-
Note that for reports 1-3 listed above, an EL student is identified as an LTEL if the student is an LTEL as of Census Day.
-
Dashboard Indicators
- Academic
- Chronic Absenteeism
- English Learner Progress
- Suspension Rate
For the Dashboard, an EL student is identified as an LTEL if the student is an LTEL at any time during the academic year while enrolled at the school or LEA. However, because this rule does not apply for the Graduation Rate Indicator, the next section details information for this state indicator as well as for the College/Career Indicator (CCI).
Start and End Dates for Dashboard Graduation Rate Indicator and College/Career Indicator
Per federal data reporting guidelines for calculating the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR), students are included in the following student groups if they are identified as belonging to the student group at any time during the cohort period: English learners, Students with Disabilities, Foster Youth, Homeless, Migrant, and Socioeconomically Disadvantaged. Likewise, for the Graduation Rate Indicator on the Dashboard, this same methodology for student group determination is also applied for the LTEL student group. Therefore, for Dashboard reporting purposes, an EL student is counted as an LTEL if the student is an LTEL at any time during the cohort period.
Please Note: LTEL is included as a student group for Dashboard reporting purposes and is not included as a distinct student group on any DataQuest reports.
Table 4 provides an example of how the start and end dates are determined and applied for the Dashboard Graduation Rate Indicator.
Table 4
| EL Student | Start Date (Earliest Date Used) | End Date | Did the student reclassify? | Student included in the LTEL group? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student 1 | 1/31/2017 |
Exactly seven years from the applicable start date. | Yes, in October 2022 | No. Because Student 1 reclassified prior to the required seven-year timeframe, the student is not included in the LTEL student group in the Dashboard Graduation Rate Indicator. |
Because the CCI denominator is derived from the denominator of the Graduation Rate Indicator, the start and end dates noted above for the Graduation Rate Indicator also applies to the CCI. For the complete rules on the connection between these two indicators, please refer to the CDE College/Career Indicator web page.
Reclassification
The timing of when a student reclassifies is also taken into consideration when determining whether a student should be included in the LTEL student group. For example:
-
If an EL student reclassifies prior to the required seven-year timeframe for the Dashboard, the student will not be counted in the LTEL student group.
-
If an EL student reclassifies prior to the required six-year mark for DataQuest and CAASPP/ELPAC, the student will not be counted in the LTEL student group per EC Section 313.1.
Resources
For additional information, please visit the following resources.
Reclassification of English Learner Students
- With the passage of Assembly Bill 2555
in September 2026, LEAs must now reclassify EL students when a student achieves a Performance Level (PL) 4 on the Summative ELPAC or a PL 3 on the Summative Alternate ELPAC. For more information on the reclassification criterion, please refer to the CDE Reclassification and AB 2555 Reclassification FAQs web pages.
Dashboard
- Dashboard Communications Toolkit which contains the latest flyer on LTEL students on the California School Dashboard.
- Dashboard Resources – refer to the Technical Information tab to access the latest Dashboard Technical Guide that includes further details of the rules used to identify LTELs for each state indicator.
DataQuest
- English Learner Data web page includes the “At Risk” and LTEL by Grade Report which displays the latest Census Day enrollment of ELs who have been determined to be "At-Risk" of becoming LTELs or who are already LTELs disaggregated by grade.
- Enrollment by ELAS, LTEL, and At-Risk by Grade downloadable data files
CAASPP and ELPAC
- Assembly Bill 1868
identifies the use of EC Section 313.1 to define LTELs for the ELPAC. The CDE also defines LTELs in the same manner for the CAASPP.
- CAASPP System
- ELPAC
LTEL Community of Practice
- LTEL Community of Practice (CoP) provides information about the LTEL CoP and resources. Refer to the Resources tab.
CALPADS
- Flash #311 describes current and future enhancements to CALPADS to help LEAs identify the current LTEL students included in the Dashboard and to support the identification of EL students at risk of becoming LTELs.
- Flash #272 includes strategies that LEAs should consider to ensure that the Student Initial US School Enrollment Date K-12 field in the SINF file is populated with quality data.