Taking English I instead of remedial English increased English credit earning with no adverse consequences on failure rates or test scores¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2009 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Students at all ability levels were much more likely to earn English I credit when enrolled in English I instead of remedial English, with failure rates unaffected and very slight reductions in absences. → Allensworth 2009

Evidence¶

Allensworth 2009¶

Allensworth, E., Nomi, T., Montgomery, N., & Lee, V. E. (2009). College Preparatory Curriculum for All: Academic Consequences of Requiring Algebra and English I for Ninth Graders in Chicago. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 31(4), 367-391. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373709343471

q2 · i? · causal · r2

From the enrollment-effect models addressing Research Question 2: English I enrollment effects on ninth-grade outcomes. The article reports students were "much more likely to earn English I credit (p < .01), and their failure rates were unaffected," with absence slightly lower for the two lower-ability groups.

"Students at all ability levels were much more likely to earn English I credit (p < .01), and their failure rates were unaffected. Course absence was very slightly less for the two lower-ability groups by about a third of a day a year (p < .05)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Compressed content, grade retention, and enhanced Response to Intervention show less evidence of substantially shifting outcomes for struggling students, and some carry potential adverse long-term consequences — related
• Enrolling in English I instead of remedial English increased credit earning with no adverse consequences, but few other benefits — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• The policy substantially increased English I credit earning for low-ability students, with marginal increases in English failure and slightly lower grades — related
• Mandated rigorous-curriculum policies in CPS sometimes had adverse consequences: the IDS initiative saw test scores decline and the college-prep-for-all policy increased course failure without achievement gains — related
• A universal college-prep mandate shifted nearly all ninth graders into Algebra I and English I and largely closed enrollment gaps by race, ability, and special education status — related
• Grade retention and tracking students into remedial instruction undermine achievement, while formative assessment with acceleration strategies improves learning — a broader claim this one bears on
• Taking English I instead of remedial English substantially increased English I credit earning with no adverse consequences, but no GPA or reading-test benefits — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Taking Algebra I instead of remedial math increased algebra credit earning but raised failure rates and lowered grades for low- and average-ability students, with no test-score benefit — related
• Taking Algebra I instead of remedial math raised Algebra credit attainment but increased failure rates and lowered math grades, with no test-score benefit — related
• Overall policy effects: lowest-ability students earned more ninth-grade credits but also failed more, and long-term outcomes were small to non-existent, with no increase in college entrance — related
• Overall policy effects were concentrated among the lowest-ability students: larger credit gains but more failures and lower math GPAs, with ninth-grade test scores unaffected — related