English Learner Programs: Too Easy to Enter, Too Hard to Exit, Educators Say

A new study cites ‘undue barriers’ and state audits reveal students often wrongly held back — so many in California that it just reformed its law. By Jo Napolitano | November 10, 2026 Maribel Leon, 17, at her June 2026 graduation from Roosevelt High School in Fresno, California. (Maribel Leon) By Jo Napolitano November 10, 2026 The roughly 5.3 million children enrolled in English language learner programs across the country are supposed to exit when they’ve mastered enough of the language to succeed in school without as much additional support. But the exact requirements for their release vary tremendously from one state to the next, according to a recent study by New America and reporting by The 74: A student deemed qualified to leave in one location might be held in place in another for years, educators say. The results are profound for kids and schools alike: Children stuck in such programs are often deprived of access to more rigorous coursework, including college-level classes.

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