A raciolinguistic analysis of the impact of the English Language Proficiency Act on students labeled long-term English learners in Colorado

Abstract

Abstract Students who receive English Language Development (ELD) services for seven or more years are labeled as “Long Term English Learners” or LTELs. The Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA requires that states track and report on this group of students, which has shown that the number of students labeled as LTEL is growing across the United States. This label implies that this grouping of students is taking longer to learn the English language than other students, an implication that is damaging and carries along a stigma, as previous research has shown. This qualitative interview study examined the experiences of students who were formerly labeled LTELs under the English Language Proficiency Act (ELPA) in Colorado. The major findings included widespread uncertainty for students regarding different aspects of the ELPA, students being stuck in English Language Development services, and students developing deficit perceptions of their fluency. The long-term objective is to inform policymakers to revise the ELPA policy to better support this unique population of students. Keywords: LTEL, English Language Proficiency Act, Language Policy, Multilingual Students, Raciolinguistic ideologies.