In community colleges, English Language Learners (ELL) comprise several subgroups of students, each of which has a distinct background and data profile. Among these subgroups, three clearly emerge, each of which interact with placement systems and curriculum in distinct ways based on their prior educational experiences and contexts. These three subgroups are: (1) United States (US) high school graduates; (2) international students; and (3) other degree-seeking ELL/ English as a Second Language (ESL) students. This paper is the first in a series looking at the experience of these three ELL subgroups and analyzing how to maximize their completion of transferable English composition in the California community college setting. This first paper focuses on students who are US high school graduates identified as ELL by their administrative high school data. When these students enter the community college system, they may or may not identify as ELL, and may or may not enter coursework that is explicitly designated as ESL. The large majority of these students (approximately 86%) enroll in English classes at the community college (i.e., the "English pathway"), while about 14% enroll in ESL classes (i.e., the "ESL pathway"). Therefore, to understand which course pathway creates an optimal opportunity for completion of transferable English composition, this paper examines ELLs who enter English coursework and compares their outcomes to those of students who enter ESL coursework. This report concludes that overall, English Language Learners who graduated from a US high school are more likely to complete transfer-level English coursework at the community college if they enter the English pathway rather than the ESL pathway.