Two-Way Dual Language Immersion Programs Within LAUSD Elementary Schools: Who Do They Enroll?

Despite much scholarly and policy interest in the topic, there is little systematic information about the extent to which two-way dual language (TWDL) immersion programs enroll diverse student populations, especially in segregated urban school environments. This article adds to the literature by using student-level enrollment data to quantitatively describe patterns of enrollment and diversity in elementary TWDL programs in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a large urban district at the forefront of the national trend of TWDL growth. We examine the extent to which elementary TWDL programs enroll students from different backgrounds and how the racial, economic, and linguistic composition and diversity vary in schools with TWDL programs between the TWDL and non-TWDL strands within each school.