Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on District Spending for English Learners
Overview
This journal article published in Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education special issue, “The COVID Effect: Unlocking the Education Potential for a Generation of Learners,” focuses on English Learners (ELs), one of the student groups most deeply impacted by the pandemic.
While federal and state emergency funds provided new resources to schools during the pandemic, district choices in allocating those funds through Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) and the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) shaped whether EL needs were met. The study examines LCAPs and financial data from 30 randomly selected California districts, highlighting patterns that reveal both gaps in support and lessons for building stronger systems for English Learners.
Research Findings
Spending lacked clarity.
LCAPs often provided vague descriptions of how funds could support English Learners.
ELs were not consistently prioritized.
Despite being disproportionately affected, EL supports were frequently underfunded.
Uneven adoption of the California EL Roadmap.
Implementation varied widely, limiting system-wide progress.
Proportionality challenges.
Funding levels did not always reflect the size or specific needs of each district’s EL population.
Equity & Accountability
LCFF/LCAP limitations
Funding structures lacked strong safeguards to ensure equitable allocation for ELs.
Weak accountability tools
Monitoring systems did not adequately track how the funds could turn into outcomes for ELs.
Transparency gaps
Limited reporting in LCAPs and limited oversight made it difficult to track whether resources actually reached ELs.
Recommendations
Improve policy design
Embed clear requirements for targeting EL supports in funding formulas.
Strengthen district planning
Require specific, actionable commitments in LCAPs to address EL needs.
Increase accountability
Develop stronger tools to monitor how funds are spent and whether they improve outcomes.
Invest for the long term
Build sustainable programs that extend beyond crisis-response funding.
Related Work
