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California: classified-EL share over time

Annual share of public-school students classified as English Learners.

0% 8% 15% 23% 30% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2024 2011: 22.1% 2012: 24.2% 2013: 23.9% 2014: 22.1% 2015: 21.8% 2016: 21.1% 2017: 20.2% 2018: 19.1% 2019: 18.4% 2020: 17.5% 2021: 18.9% 2024: 17.4% (state agency)
Between 2011 and 2024, the classified-EL share fell from 22.1% to 17.4%. Observations through fall 2021 are from NCES; observations for fall 2024 are from the California state education agency (California Department of Education, English Learners in California Schools (2024-25)). State-agency methodology may differ from NCES; see the note below.
NCES Digest, Table 204.20 California state education agency

Methodology note

  • California Department of Education, Census Day enrollment (first Wednesday in October). EL count excludes Reclassified Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) students, matching NCES treatment. CDE's 2018-19 figure (19.3%) tracks NCES's fall 2018 figure (19.1%) within 0.2 percentage points, suggesting the CDE series is methodologically continuous with the prior NCES table.
Show data table
Year % classified EL Publisher Source
2011 22.1% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2012 24.2% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2013 23.9% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2014 22.1% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2015 21.8% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2016 21.1% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2017 20.2% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2018 19.1% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2019 18.4% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2020 17.5% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2021 18.9% NCES NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab)
2024 17.4% State agency California Department of Education, English Learners in California Schools (2024-25) (opens in a new tab)

About this figure

Each point is the fall-enrollment share of students classified as English Learners in California's public schools. Observations through fall 2021 are drawn from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Digest of Education Statistics, Table 204.20, the canonical national series; NCES has not yet republished this table for school years after 2021-22. For fall 2024, the catalog falls back to figures published directly by the California state education agency. State-agency methodology may differ from NCES — the methodology note above the data table records the difference, and the dashed line and hollow markers in the chart mark the boundary.

Sources: NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 204.20 (opens in a new tab) ; California Department of Education, English Learners in California Schools (2024-25) (opens in a new tab) .

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