All three EL subgroups scored lower than never-ELs in math and reading throughout kindergarten to 4th grade¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2022 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2027: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Across K-4 in both math and English reading, never-ELs consistently had the highest test scores, followed by ever-ELs, always-ELs, then dually-identified students. → Johnson 2022

Evidence¶

Johnson 2022¶

Johnson, A. (2022). Achievement and growth for English Learners. Educational Policy, 37(4), 1044–1069. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048211049419

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Observational analysis of MAP Growth scores (fall, winter, spring) for a kindergarten cohort of more than 56,000 students in 915 schools, plotted by group in Figure 2. The study found "never-ELs consistently had the highest test scores" across subjects and time, with the group ordering ever-ELs, always-ELs, dually-identified below them.

"In both math and English reading and across time, never-ELs consistently had the highest test scores which were above the national average, followed by ever-ELs, always-ELs, then dually-identified students."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• ELs lag behind peers in achievement and attainment partly due to limited exposure to academic content — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Dually-identified EL/SPED students had the lowest scores with gaps widening over time, driven by larger summer loss — related
• Dually-identified students make smaller gains than the all-student average across all grades in math and in kindergarten and 1st grade in reading — related
• In math, EL groups grew more than never-ELs during academic years but lost more during summers — related
• Ever-ELs closed in on the national average by end of 4th grade, with Asian and White ever-ELs surpassing it in 2nd grade — related
• All three English Learner groups have lower mean math and reading achievement than the all-student average in kindergarten — related
• Ever-ELs and current-ELs make larger fall-to-spring gains than the all-student average in early grades but smaller gains in middle grades — related
• ELs lost more academic skill during summers than never-ELs in both math and reading — related
• All three English Learner groups had lower K-4 test scores than never-ELs — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• The study distinguishes three EL service-history groups with distinct achievement and growth profiles — related
• Kindergarten test scores show patterns that can predict academic success or identify students at risk of falling further behind by third grade — related
• Kindergarten test scores from more than 400,000 U.S. students contain patterns that can predict academic success or identify students at risk of falling further behind by third grade — related