Colleges are now required to place entering ELs who are US high school graduates in college composition. Since some of these ELs need language support, a growing number of colleges are offering transfer-level English ESL-equivalent (TLE-ESL) courses, TLE courses designed for multilingual speakers, or ESL corequisite support for TLE. So far, success rates in those courses are above 70 percent regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, or age—and higher than rates in traditional TLE offered in English departments.
More work lies ahead
Implementing AB 705 in ESL during a historic pandemic has been challenging, and we cannot yet disentangle the impact of reforms from the effects of the pandemic. Also, given AB 705’s three-year timeframe for completion of transfer-level English or the ESL equivalent, it is too early to assess the reform’s impact on this key outcome. Finally, continued variation in placement criteria and course offerings across colleges could undercut efforts to ensure equitable access and outcomes. Our research suggests several ways to bolster ongoing implementation efforts.
Expand access to college composition for all English learners. Recent research—including our analysis of the first term of AB 705 implementation for ESL—suggests that ELs who have direct access to college composition have higher rates of success than those who start in courses one or more levels below college composition. All colleges should be encouraged to design composition courses that support all English Learners. As these courses become more widespread, it will be important to assess their effectiveness and determine whether access and outcomes are equitable.
Monitor the validity and effectiveness of placement rules and course sequences. It will be critical for the Chancellor’s Office and individual colleges to assess the validity and effectiveness of placement rules and methods. Differences in placement policies and cut scores across colleges coupled with variation in direct access to TLE or TLE-ESL courses may lead to inequitable outcomes, as a student’s chances of completing TLE will continue to depend on where that student enrolls in college.
Deepen connections between ESL reforms and other systemwide initiatives. The rising number of ESL courses that are transferrable to both UC and CSU offers opportunities to connect ESL reform with larger systemwide programs—including the Vision for Success, College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP), and Guided Pathways.
Provide guidance and information to support ongoing implementation efforts. As colleges continue to implement ESL reforms, it will be important for the Chancellor’s Office to provide guidance. For example, the Chancellor’s Office could clear up uncertainty about how a new law (AB 1705) builds on AB 705 affects ESL. It will also be imperative for researchers to help inform and improve implementation efforts.
Establish a longitudinal data system. The governor and the legislature are supporting efforts to establish a data system that connects K–12, higher education, workforce, and social services data; this system would include information on English Learners in high school, which would help researchers understand the trajectories of ESL students at community colleges and beyond.
