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Indicator 8: English Language Learners in Public Schools
(Last Updated: February 2019)

In fall 2015, about 4.9 million public school students were identified as English language learners (ELL). Over three-quarters of ELL students were Hispanic (77.7 percent, or 3.8 million students).

The racial/ethnic diversity of U.S. public school students has increased, reflecting the increase in the racial/ethnic diversity of the overall U.S. population.1 This diversity is also apparent in the number of students identified as English language learners (ELL). ELL students are individuals who have sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language to be unable to learn successfully in classrooms or to participate fully in the larger U.S. society. ELL students often participate in language assistance programs, such as English as a Second Language, High Intensity Language Training, and bilingual education to help ensure that they attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, and meet the same academic content and academic achievement standards that all students are expected to meet. Participation in these types of programs can improve students’ English language proficiency, which, in turn, can improve their educational outcomes.2 This indicator examines all students identified as ELL, whether or not they participated in such programs.


Figure 8.1. Number of English language learner (ELL) students in public schools, by race/ethnicity: Fall 2015

Figure 8.1. Number of English language learner (ELL) students in public schools, by race/ethnicity: Fall 2015


NOTE: Includes all students identified as English language learners--both those participating in ELL programs and those not participating in ELL programs. Data exclude Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Detail may not sum to totals because race/ethnicity were not reported for some students and because of rounding. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded estimates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, EDFacts file 141, Data Group 678, extracted July 21, 2017, from the EDFacts Data Warehouse (internal U.S. Department of Education source); and Common Core of Data (CCD),“State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary and Secondary Education,” 2015–16. See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 204.27.


In fall 2015, about 4.9 million public school students were identified as ELL, representing 9.9 percent of overall public school enrollment. Over three-quarters of ELL students were Hispanic (77.7 percent, or 3.8 million students). Asian students were the second largest group (10.5 percent), with 511,700 ELL students. White students accounted for 6.1 percent (294,800 students) of ELL students, and Black students accounted for 3.7 percent (178,100 students). American Indian/Alaska Native students (38,800 students), students of Two or more races (31,100 students), and Pacific Islander students (27,000 students) each made up less than 1 percent of ELL students.


Figure 8.2. Percentage of public school students identified as English language learner (ELL) students, by race/ethnicity: Fall 2015

Figure 8.2. Percentage of public school students identified as English language learner (ELL) students, by race/ethnicity: Fall 2015


NOTE: Includes all students identified as English language learners--both those participating in ELL programs and those not participating in ELL programs. Data exclude Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, EDFacts file 141, Data Group 678, extracted July 21, 2017, from the EDFacts Data Warehouse (internal U.S. Department of Education source); and Common Core of Data (CCD), “State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary and Secondary Education,” 2015–16. See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 204.27.


In 2015, a higher percentage of Hispanic students (29.8 percent), Asian students (20.7 percent), and Pacific Islander students (15.6 percent) were identified as ELL than students overall (9.9 percent). In contrast, a lower percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native students (7.9 percent), Black students (2.4 percent), students of Two or more races (1.9 percent), and White students (1.2 percent) were identified as ELL than students overall.

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Endnotes

1 See indicator Racial/Ethnic Concentration in Public Schools for additional information on the racial/ethnic diversity of U.S. public schools.
2 Genesee, F., Lindholm-Leary, K., Saunders, W., and Christian, D. (2005). English Language Learners in U.S. Schools: An Overview of Research Findings. Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk, 10:4, 363–385. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327671espr1004_2.