2009 Percent of Students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
One out of four students in high-poverty schools has limited English proficiency.
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Why is this important?
Not all children experience economic and social conditions that allow them to perform their best in our public school system. Like poverty, Limited English Proficiency (LEP) is an indicator of students at risk of performing poorly in school. It also reflects Long Island’s changing population and the resulting increase in disparity across schools and districts.
How are we doing?
Overall, Long Island as well as New York State schools are experiencing steady growth in the number of LEP students. The year 2007 represents the seven-year high of the students having limited English proficiency. On Long Island, however, the number of LEP students has remained constant in the low-poverty and middle-poverty schools. It is the high-poverty schools that are bearing the overwhelming responsibility. In 2001, one in seven students was LEP in these schools; in 2007, the numbers increased to one in four. As a result of the concentration of students requiring additional resources in a small number of school districts, the challenge for these districts is high, both financially and educationally.