Open AccessEquity and State Immigrant Inclusivity: English Learner Education in ESSA
Author(s) -
Rebecca M. Callahan,
Leslie Gautsch,
Megan Hopkins,
María Del Carmen Unda
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
educational policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.664
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1552-3896
pISSN - 0895-9048
DOI - 10.1177/0895904820925819
Subject(s) - immigration , educational equity , equity (law) , corporate governance , state (computer science) , education policy , political science , immigration policy , public administration , policy analysis , immigration law , sociology , pedagogy , higher education , economics , law , finance , algorithm , computer science
With the 2015 passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the oversight of language policy in US schools shifted from federal to state governance. Although the education of students officially designated as English learners (ELs) has historically been grounded in federal law, we argue that English learners' educational experiences are also largely influenced by societal attitudes towards immigrants and immigration. Using a critical policy analysis (CPA) approach, we examine how twelve states' immigrant policy contexts are associated with the EL educational policies articulated in their ESSA implementation plans. We find that states' demographic and immigrant policy contexts combine to produce four distinct approaches toward EL education, from departing to approaching equity.