District of Columbia: classified-EL share over time
Annual share of public-school students classified as English Learners.
Between 2011 and 2024, the classified-EL share rose from 7.2% to 14.1%. Observations through fall 2021 are from NCES; observations for fall 2024 are from the District of Columbia state education agency (DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education, 2023-24 Enrollment Audit). State-agency methodology may differ from NCES; see the note below.
NCES Digest, Table 204.20
District of Columbia state education agency
Methodology note
Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), 2023-24 spring enrollment audit (approximately June 2024 — note that NCES uses an October fall snapshot, which may contribute to the gap). EL identification via OSSE Home Language Survey plus a WIDA-aligned placement assessment within 30 school days. Denominator is K-12 public enrollment (DCPS plus charters; approximately 13,910 of 98,652). The 2.8 percentage-point increase over NCES's fall 2021 figure (11.3%) reflects both documented enrollment growth (OSSE edscape: roughly 1,000 additional EL students across SY2023-24 and SY2024-25) and the spring-vs-fall snapshot-month difference.
Each point is the fall-enrollment share of students classified as English Learners in District of Columbia'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 District of Columbia 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.