CLIPBOARD : Bilingual Load

During the last decade, the number of students in county schools with limited English-language skills (LEP, or limited English proficiency) has skyrocketed while the number of instructors capable of teaching English as a second language (ESL) has increased in a less spectacular fashion.

For the school year 1989-90, the most recent one for which information is available, there were nearly 80,000 such students and fewer than 400 instructors. Compared to 1980-81, the number of students has increased by 172.7% and the number of instructors 17.6%. For the increase in the number of instructors to have kept pace with the students, there would now need to by about 870 ESL instructors.

Here’s a look at how the trend during the last 10 years in students has relentlessly increased while the number of instructors has moved up and down:

% Change % Change ESL From Previous LEP From Previous School Year Instructors Year Students Year 1989-90* 374 -5.1 79.882 +23.8 1988-89 394 +5.9 64,544 +17.0 1987-88 372 +19.6 55,159 +10.5 1986-87 311 +1.3 49,928 +5.0 1985-86 307 -23.8 47,528 +9.5 1984-85 403 +5.8 43,414 +8.6 1983-84 381 +5.2 39,961 +11.7 1982-83 362 +6.7 35,784 +7.9 1981-82 339 +6.6 33,137 +13.1 1980-81 318 -- 29,297 -- 10-YEAR AVERAGE 356 -- 47,863 --

* Most recent information available Source: California Department of Education, Office of Bilingual Education