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Title III Immigrant Student Demographics

Data regarding the enrollment of immigrant students in California and immigrant students in Title III-funded local educational agencies (LEAs).

The California Department of Education conducts an annual data collection of immigrant students enrolled in California's public and private schools. The data collection is conducted as part of the requirements of Title III under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Title III, Part A, Sections 3201(5) define immigrant children and youth as individuals who:

  • are aged 3 through 21,
  • were not born in any state, and
  • have not been attending one or more schools in any one or more states for more than three full (cumulative) academic years. Section 3201(13) of the ESSA defines a "State" as each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

LEAs report the number of immigrant students enrolled in public schools on Census Day via the annual Fall 1 California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) submission. Census Day enrollment is the count of the students enrolled in each LEA on the first Wednesday in October. Private schools report their immigrant student enrollment via the Student National Origin Report (SNOR). The number of students enrolled in public and private schools is combined to determine the number of immigrant students who are eligible for Title III Immigrant Student Program funding.  It is important to note that the number of public school immigrant students reported on Census Day is utilized to determine Title III Immigrant Student Program funding for the following year, not the current year for which the data was collected.

Table I: Immigrant Student Enrollment in California, 2018–19 to 2023–24

CALPADS Fall 1 Submission Year Number of Immigrant Students Enrolled*
Fall 2023 2023–24 189,634
Fall 2022 2022–23 165,293
Fall 2021 2021–22 144,994
Fall 2020 2020–21 151,920
Fall 2019 2019–20 177,476
Fall 2018 2018–19 176,976

*The number of immigrant students enrolled is based only on certified primary enrollment data reported on Census Day via the CALPADS Fall 1 submission. The enrollment number excludes immigrant students in Nonpublic, Nonsectarian Schools, State Special Schools, and California Education Authority Headquarters Schools.

Table II: Title III Funding for Immigrant Students in California 2018–19 to 2023–24

CALPADS Fall 1 Submission Funding Year Number of Eligible Immigrant Students in LEAs that Received Title III Immigrant Student Program Funding* Per-Student Allocation Total Title III Immigrant Student Program Funding
Fall 2022 2023–24 97,738 $126.05 $12,319,877

Fall 2021

2022–23

24,335

$150.85 $3,670,866
Fall 2020 2021–22 22,407 $157.20 $3,522,370
Fall 2019 2020–21 73,318 $110.95 $8,134,632
Fall 2018 2019–20 88,423 $100.42 $8,879,426
Fall 2017 2018–19 115,646 $98.35 $11,373,797

*The number of eligible immigrant students in LEAs that received Title III Immigrant Student Program Funding is based on the immigrant student Census Day enrollment from the CALPADS Fall 1 submission and the private school immigrant student enrollment from the SNOR.

Questions:   Language Policy and Leadership Office | LPLO@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0845
Last Reviewed: Thursday, February 06, 2025
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