Article: California Schools Lose Funds When English Language Learners Are Labeled Fluent

From http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Schools-reluctant-to-call-kids-fluent-lose-funds-3665408.php

Schools reluctant to call kids fluent, lose funds
Jill Tucker
June 27, 2012

Nearly 3,000 San Francisco students who started school in the city as English learners were reclassified as fluent in the language last year while untold thousands of other students across the state with similar English skills remained stuck in limited-English classes to keep federal and state funding flowing into their district.

Schools get about $500 per English learner to help them master the language in the classroom, yet once they are fluent, the money goes away.

In many districts, that financial disincentive can mean relatively few students lose the English-learner label, even when they reach fluency.

Read the full article at http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Schools-reluctant-to-call-kids-fluent-lose-funds-3665408.php