Denial of access: the impact of Linked Learning/California Partnership Academies in preparing English Language Learners to become college and career ready for post-secondary opportunities

Currently in public education we are experiencing a pendulum swing of federal and state reform mandates that will align to the upcoming Common Core State Standards (CCSS) implemented in 2015. With the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 2013, the shift changed from the high stakes testing of No Child Left behind (NCLB) to the inclusion of college and career readiness standards for all students. This study identified the impact of federal and state reform mandates on underserved students, specifically Long-Term English Language Learners (LT-ELL). In addition, this research study investigated if ELL students are accessing Linked Learning College and Career Readiness Pathways to achieve the goals of the Common Core State Standards of being college and career ready. In the past, LT-ELL students have been unsuccessful in accessing quality core and technical curriculum that is college and career specific and provides the outcomes for successful transition to postsecondary education and/or career options. This study found that LT-ELL students continue to experience exclusionary practices and lack of access to Linked Learning/California Partnership Academy Pathways.