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Home > Dual Language Learners: A National Demographic and Policy Profile

Fact Sheets
October 2017

Dual Language Learners: A National Demographic and Policy Profile

By  Maki Park, Anna O’Toole and Caitlin Katsiaficas
Education
Early Childhood Education and Care
Immigrant Integration
Children & Family Policy
Immigrant Profiles & Demographics
U.S. Data
coverthumb_DLL FactSheet US FINAL
Read U.S. Fact Sheet

Dual Language Learners (DLLs)—those under age 8 with at least one parent who speaks a language other than English at home—make up 32 percent of the U.S. young child population and a growing share of children in most states. While these young learners stand to benefit disproportionately from high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC), they are less likely than their peers to be enrolled in such programs—potentially contributing to lags in kindergarten readiness and later academic achievement.

The fact sheets in this series offer a sociodemographic sketch of the DLL population (and comparison to non-DLL peers) at both the national level and in the 30 states with the most DLLs, providing data on age and enrollment, race/ethnicity, income and poverty levels, parental English proficiency and educational attainment, and top home languages spoken in DLL households.

The fact sheets also provide an overview of the policies states have introduced to support DLLs and their families in accessing quality ECEC programs, drawing from an MPI survey of state ECEC agencies.

Read the U.S. fact sheet, or access the state fact sheets below:

Arizona

Massachusetts

Oklahoma

California

Michigan

Oregon

Colorado

Minnesota

Pennsylvania

Connecticut

Missouri

South Carolina

Florida

Nevada

Tennessee

Georgia

New Jersey

Texas

Illinois

New Mexico

Utah

Indiana

New York State

Virginia

Kansas

North Carolina

Washington State

Maryland

Ohio

Wisconsin

Table of Contents 

I. Demographic Overview of DLLs

II. Looking Beyond Early Childhood: Achievement Gaps between ELs and Non-ELs

III. Early Childhood Education and Care Policies Affecting DLLs

A. System-Level Policies

B. Child Care and Development Fund Usage

C. Home Visiting

D. Pre-K and Early Learning

III. Conclusion

Media Resources

Contact 

Michelle Mittelstadt
202-266-1910
[email protected]

Experts 
Photo of Margie McHugh

Margie McHugh is Director of MPI's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy. Full Bio >

Delia Pompa photo cropped

Delia Pompa is Senior Fellow for Education Policy at MPI, where her work focuses on educational services for immigrant students and English Learners. Full Bio >

Links 

Press Release


Source URL:https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/dual-language-learners-national-demographic-and-policy-profile