CA Education for a Global Economy Initiative

Programs for English Learner (EL) Students

Programs for EL Students Home | Structured English Immersion | Dual Language Immersion | Developmental Bilingual | Transitional Bilingual

Programs for EL students are also known as language acquisition programs. They are educational programs designed for EL students to ensure English acquisition as rapidly and effectively as possible. Language acquisition programs provide instruction to EL students on the state-adopted academic content and English language development (ELD) standards through integrated and designated ELD.

Language acquisition programs include, but are not limited to:

• Dual language immersion programs (DLI or Two-Way)
• Transitional and Developmental programs for EL students
• Structured English Immersion (SEI)

At a minimum, a local educational agency (LEA) shall offer an SEI program option for EL students. Education Code (EC) Section 306(c).

Any language acquisition program provided by an LEA shall:

• Be designed using evidence-based research and include both designated and integrated ELD.
• Be allocated sufficient resources by the LEA to be effectively implemented, including, but not limited to:
  • Certificated teachers with the appropriate authorizations,
  • Necessary instructional materials,
  • Pertinent professional development for the proposed program, and
  • Opportunities for parent and community engagement to support the proposed program goals.
• Within a reasonable period of time, lead to:
  • Grade-level proficiency in English, and, when the program model includes instruction in another language, proficiency in that other language; and
  • Achievement of the state-adopted academic content standards in English, and, when the program model includes instruction in another language, achievement of the state-adopted academic content standards in that other language.

California Code of Regulations (5 CCR) Section 11309 (c) and (d).

Language Acquisition Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

Program Design

• Design each program through the lens of the principles and elements of the California EL Roadmap (pages 24-28 of the EL Roadmap printed document).
• Develop and implement each program at the school or district level, with teacher planning and program alignment:
  • Horizontally: Involving a specific grade level to align instruction with standards, and
  • Vertically: Involving all pertinent grade levels to ensure a smooth flow of instruction from one grade level to the next.
• Set and focus on the overall program and grade-specific goals (i.e., S.M.A.R.T. Goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound).
• Design the program based on identified needs and evidence-based effective practice that consistently addresses all four domains of language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Implementation

• Support the program implementation with relevant, coherent professional development that is based on the Quality Professional Learning Standards.
• Integrate each program into the comprehensive educational program at the school or district to create an inclusive system that recognizes and celebrates all students as assets and responds to their needs.
• Provide instruction and services with a teacher possessing an appropriate English learner and/or bilingual authorization , as applicable.

Evaluate

• Evaluate each program at least annually through the continuous improvement process to determine effectiveness in reaching program goals. Based on evaluation findings, the LEA modifies the program design and instruction to improve practice and outcomes

Language Acquisition Program Instruction

• Promotes multilingual and multicultural understanding and positive self-esteem,
• Provides core content instruction with designated and integrated ELD,
• Aligns the core curriculum to the state-adopted grade level and ELD standards,
• Includes formative assessment to inform teacher strategies during instruction and planning for next steps,
• Utilizes print, audio, visual, graphic, and electronic resources, and
• Defines the reasonable amount of time for the program to provide student attainment of English language proficiency and meet the reclassification criteria, including academic progress.

Opting out of EL services:

• Parents have the right to opt their students out of EL programs or particular EL services. This decision must be voluntary and based on a full understanding of the EL student’s rights, the range of services available to the student, and the benefits of such services.
• If a parent decides to opt their student out of EL programs or particular EL services, the student still retains their status as an English learner.
• LEAs must continue to monitor the English language proficiency and academic progress of students who opt out of EL programs and services. If a student does not demonstrate appropriate growth in English language proficiency or maintain appropriate academic levels, the LEA must inform the parents in a language they understand and offer EL services.

U.S. Department of Education Office of English Language Acquisition
English Learner Toolkit , Chapter 7

• English learners who opt out of EL programs and/or services will continue to be assessed annually with the Summative English Language Proficiency Assessment for California until they are reclassified as Fluent English Proficient (RFEP). After reclassification, all RFEP students will be monitored for four years.
  

Education Code (EC) and California Code of Regulations (CCR)

Amended California EC (DOCX)
California EC amended by the passage of the CA Ed.G.E. Initiative, which includes sections 300, 305, 306, 310, 320, and 335.

Available Translations of California EC
California EC in English is the official version. This Spanish translation is offered as a courtesy.

Amended CCR (DOCX)
New and amended CCR sections 11300, 11301, 11309, 11310, 11311, 11312, and 11316, which took effect July 1, 2018.

Available Translations of the CCR
The regulations in English is the official version. This Spanish translation is offered as a courtesy.

CCR and California EC
Chart which shows the CCR sections 11300, 11301, 11309, 11310, 11311, 11312, and 11316, and related EC language.

CA Ed.G.E. Initiative Frequently Asked Questions

The California Education for a Global Economy (CA Ed.G.E.) Initiative, otherwise known as Proposition 58, took effect July 1, 2017, and the corresponding regulations took effect July 1, 2018. These frequently asked questions are intended to assist local educational agencies in implementing the provisions in the California Education Code (EC) and California Code of Regulations (5 CCR). This collection represents frequently asked questions, and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible questions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

CA Ed.G.E. Initiative Resources

State and Federal Resources and Information

CA Ed.G.E. Initiative Implementation Handbook for School Districts and County Offices of Education (Updated Handbook Coming Summer 2025)
This handbook provides detailed information on the CA Ed.G.E. Initiative for local implementation.

Biliteracy Pathway Recognitions
The Biliteracy Pathway Recognitions recognize preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school students who have demonstrated progress toward proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in addition to English.

California Practitioners' Guide for Educating English Learners with Disabilities (PDF)
This California Department of Education (CDE) web page includes the guide and other resources for identifying, assessing, supporting, and reclassifying EL students with disabilities.

2020–23 Educator Workforce Investment Grant (EWIG):English Learner (EL) Roadmap Implementation
This page provides information regarding webinars, professional development, and tools provided by the two grantees of the EWIG. English Learner Roadmap Implementation for Systemic Excellence provides information on how to implement the principles of the EL Roadmap Policy through EL programs and services, and Multilingual California Project specializes in multilingual program design and implementation through the lens of the EL Roadmap Principles and elements.

2023–25 EWIG: Effective Language Acquisition Programs (ELAP)
This page provides connections to the four lead grantees of the EWIG: ELAP, who provide free professional learning statewide for all interested teachers, paraprofessionals, site leaders, and school counselors on the implementation of effective language acquisition programs. This may include integrated language development within and across content areas, development of bilingual and biliterate proficiency, and building and strengthening capacity to implement the EL Roadmap policy.  

English Language Development (ELD) Standards
This page includes the State Board of Education-adopted CA ELD standards, ELD video series, information, and resources to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) in designing, implementing, and enhancing integrated and designated ELD instruction for EL students.

EL Roadmap
This page includes the EL Roadmap Policy and a printable guide to assist LEAs in implementing California's 21st-century college-and-career-ready standards, curriculum, instruction programs, and assessments for English learners

Global California 2030 (PDF)
Global California 2030 in Spanish (PDF)
The Global California 2030 initiative vastly expands the teaching of world languages and the number of students proficient in more than one language over the next 12 years. The CDE's mission, through Global California 2030, is to equip students with world language skills to better appreciate and more fully engage with the rich and diverse mixture of cultures, heritages, and languages found in California and the world, while also preparing them to succeed in the global economy.

Improving Education for Multilingual and English Learners: Research to Practice
CDE Press, 2020
This page provides the CDE publication Improving Education for Multilingual and English Learner Students: Research to Practice. It includes the publication in its entirety as well as each chapter, available for individual study. The web page also contains links to the webinars which introduce each chapter.

Multilingual Education
This CDE web page provides information about multilingual programs and resources for educators and parents.

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA)
NCELA supports the mission of the U.S. Department of Education Office of English Language Acquisition in meeting the needs of English learners and providing state data profiles, a resource library, and the NCELA Nexus.

Newcomer Students
This page provides information regarding newcomer and immigrant students, including definitions and data, newcomer programs, funding programs, and additional resources.

Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students
This office in the U.S. Department of Education is responsible for the administration of English learner programs and services, Title III, and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Preschool English Learners: Principles and practices to promote Language, Literacy, and Learning (PDF)
This CDE resource guide supports the education of dual-language learners.

SBE-Adopted English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework
The CDE developed the 2014 ELA/ELD Framework to support and incorporate the California Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects and the California ELD Standards (CA ELD Standards).

State Seal of Biliteracy
This program recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English.

SBE-Adopted English Language Development Standards
The California ELD Standards amplify the California State Standards for ELA and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.

External Resources and Information

A P-3 Framework: Centering English Learners (PDF)
Authored by Dr. Laurie Olsen, this framework articulates a set of pedagogical and system-design principles that derive from the knowledge base on effective practices for EL/Dual Language Learner students, culturally and linguistically sustaining approaches, research on dual language development, and experiences building systems that appropriately serve immigrant and dual language communities and enable effective practices to be implemented

Association of Two-Way & Dual Language Education (ATDLE)
ATDLE is a national organization which supports the development and continued implementation of Two-Way and Dual-Language programs throughout the United States.

California Association of Bilingual Education (CABE): English Learner and Biliteracy Programs
A web page that provides descriptions of instructional program models that develop multilingualism, multiliteracy, and multiculturalism.

Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA)
The CARLA website provides free online research-based professional development resources and instructional materials.

Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)
CAL conducts research, develops language assessments and instructional materials, provides professional development and technical assistance services, offers online courses, and disseminates information and resources related to language and culture.

Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE)
CREDE provides research and tools for the implementation of practices for culturally and linguistically diverse students.

Early Edge Multilingual Learning Toolkit
This online hub features research-based key principles, instructional strategies, and associated, free, practical, and easy-to-use resources that are focused on supporting the learning experience of children in PreK through Third Grade who have developed or are developing proficiency in both English and one or more languages.

English Learners in STEM Subjects: Transforming Classrooms, Schools, and Lives
This 2018 National Academies of Sciences report shows that English learners bring a wealth of resources to STEM learning, including knowledge and interest in STEM-related content that is born out of their experiences in their homes and communities, home languages, variation in discourse practices, and, in some cases, experiences with schooling in other countries.

First 5 California Dual Language Learner Pilot Study: Summary of Study Findings
This 2022 research brief is based on a large-scale study conducted by the American Institutes for Research and partners to identify and expand promising practices to support dual language learners (children aged five and younger living in households where a language other than English is spoken).

KVIE Inside California Education Dual-Language Immersion Episode (Video; 26:46)
This news report showcases an English and Mandarin Chinese dual-language immersion program in Redding and discusses how the passage of the CA Ed.G.E. Initiative could increase opportunities for students to learn multiple languages.

KVIE Inside California Education Bilingual Teacher Shortage Episode (Video; 4.56)
This news report discusses the impact of the bilingual teacher shortage in California, and how the Fresno school district recruits qualified bilingual teachers for their dual-language immersion programs.

Multicultural Pavilion
The Multicultural Pavilion is an EdChange and Equity Literacy Institute project that provides resources and discussion lists related to multicultural teaching and learning.

Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures
This 2017 National Academies of Sciences report examines how evidence based on research relevant to the development of dual language learners/English learners from birth to age 21 can inform education and health policies and related practices that can result in better educational outcomes. This report makes recommendations for policy, practice, and research and data collection focused on addressing the challenges in caring for and educating Dual language learners/English learners from birth to grade 12.