English Language Learners in Tennessee Public Schools
February 2012
Author: Kim Potts
In recent years, the number of preK–12 students requiring English language instruction has increased at a much faster pace than overall student enrollment, largely because of both legal and unauthorized immigration. According to national data, between 1997–98 and 2007–08, the number of all preK–12 students increased by 8.5 percent, while the number of ELL students increased by 53.2 percent. During the same period, some states, including Tennessee and several other southeastern states, saw much more sizeable increases: Tennessee’s preK–12 ELL population grew from 8,465 to 25,449, an increase of 200.6 percent. Despite the rapid, statewide growth, Tennessee’s ELL population as a share of total student enrollment remained well below the national average during that period—2.6 percent compared to 10.7 percent. The purposes of this brief are to describe: federal and state requirements for educating ELLs, including relevant laws and legal decisions; how services for ELLs are provided and funded; and some statistics about Tennessee’s ELL population and the state’s school districts.