Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., introduced three bills on Sept. 16 designed to increase federal support for English language learners in Arizona. The legislation, filed shortly after news outlets reported that the state lowered the passing score for its English proficiency test, seeks to fund teacher training, family literacy programs, and dual-language immersion education. The proposals aim to address educational gaps for students who are currently removed from language services before achieving full fluency, a shift that has significantly altered the demographic composition of Arizona classrooms.
What the Left Is Saying
Rep. Grijalva argues that the current approach fails to provide adequate resources for students to succeed academically. In a statement, she said, “Superintendent Horne’s mismanagement of the misguided ‘English-only’ model underscores the need for real federal support for English learners, educators, and their families, which is exactly what my legislation would provide.” She emphasized that simply making the proficiency test easier to pass does not equate to student success, stating, “Instead of repeating the mistakes of the past by simply making the English proficiency test easier to pass, we should give students the resources and support they need to actually succeed in the classroom, including through supporting bilingual education.”
The progressive perspective highlights the potential long-term economic and academic disadvantages for students who are reclassified as proficient before they are ready. Grijalva’s bills prioritize programs that recruit teacher candidates who were once English learners themselves or come from underrepresented groups. The Reaching English Learners Act, for instance, would create competitive grants for colleges partnering with high-need school districts to train teachers specifically for classrooms with English learners. Proponents argue that this structural support is necessary to remedy the deficiencies of the state’s existing English-only mandates, which they contend have not kept pace with the needs of a growing multilingual student population.
What the Right Is Saying
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, a Republican and longtime defender of Arizona’s English-only policies, disputes the characterization that the state’s model is failing students. Horne argued that the English-only model is superior to bilingual education, stating, “To put bilingual education in schools is to sacrifice the students to dogma and condemn them to not learn English properly, which negatively will affect their future academic endeavors and their hope for good jobs in the economy.” He maintains that the focus should remain on ensuring students acquire English proficiency efficiently rather than maintaining dual-language structures.
The conservative perspective relies on the state’s regulatory authority to adjust testing standards to reflect current educational realities. The Arizona Department of Education defended its decision to lower the passing score by noting that it first administered the exam to 600 native English speakers to set a baseline for the changes. Officials pointed out that this baseline step was skipped in 2020 during the last major test modification. Supporters of the current policy argue that the English-only framework, established by Proposition 203 in 2000, ensures that students spend dedicated time in separate instruction until they demonstrate fluency, thereby preparing them for mainstream classrooms without the complexities of dual-language immersion.
What the Numbers Show
Recent data indicates a significant shift in how Arizona classifies English language learners. Following the state’s decision to lower the score required to pass the English proficiency test, the statewide reclassification rate jumped to 26% in 2026, up from 12% the previous year. Of the nearly 113,000 students who took the exam this school year, approximately 30,000 were classified as proficient and subsequently removed from English-language services. Experts warn that this rapid increase in reclassification may push thousands of students out of support systems before they have fully mastered the language necessary for academic success.
The proposed legislation includes specific funding authorizations. The Families Learning and Understanding English Together Act would authorize $75 million annually from 2027 through 2031 for family literacy programs. These funds would be distributed as grants ranging from $150,000 to $1 million per year to Head Start programs, school districts, adult education providers, and nonprofits serving areas where English learners constitute a majority or growing share of the student body. The Supporting Young Language Learners’ Access to Bilingual Education Act would authorize $15 million for dual-language immersion programs for low-income families from preschool through fifth grade. The Reaching English Learners Act does not specify a total cost but requires colleges to cover at least half of the training expenses.
The Bottom Line
The introduction of Grijalva’s bills marks a renewed federal legislative effort to influence Arizona’s education policy, specifically regarding the treatment of English language learners. The debate centers on the efficacy of the state’s English-only model versus the proposed expansion of bilingual and dual-language support. Past attempts by Arizona to reclassify large numbers of students without sufficient proficiency led to federal investigations and a settlement more than a decade ago, with the government alleging that placing students in mainstream classrooms where they struggled violated their civil and educational rights. The current legislative proposal seeks to prevent similar outcomes by providing targeted federal grants for teacher training and family literacy. The next steps involve congressional committee review and potential hearings on the fiscal impact and educational effectiveness of the proposed programs.