Students who began as ELs and demonstrated proficiency by eighth grade had academic outcomes similar to or higher than students never classified as ELs¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2019 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Eighty percent of students who began as ELs demonstrated proficiency on the ACCESS test by the end of eighth grade. → de la Torre 2019 q2 i? Compared to never-EL students, this group had higher attendance, higher math NWEA-MAP scores, and higher course grades, with comparable reading scores and Freshman OnTrack rates. → de la Torre 2019 (2)

Evidence¶

de la Torre 2019¶

de la Torre, M., Blanchard, A., Allensworth, E.M., & Freire, S. (2019). English Learners in CPS: A new perspective. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Descriptive proficiency outcome for the three continuously-enrolled CPS cohorts. The report notes these students have been categorized in public statistics as non-ELs once proficient, so analyzing them as a distinct subgroup adds nuance. No effect size is printed.

"Eighty percent of students who began as ELs demonstrated proficiency on the ACCESS test by the end of eighth grade."

de la Torre 2019 (2)¶

de la Torre, M., Blanchard, A., Allensworth, E.M., & Freire, S. (2019). English Learners in CPS: A new perspective. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu

q2 · i? · associational · r?

Descriptive multi-outcome comparison (attendance, math and reading NWEA-MAP, course grades, Freshman OnTrack) for the proficient-by-eighth-grade subgroup versus never-EL students. The report interprets the pattern as suggesting appropriate supports. No effect size is printed.

"In all outcomes, the academic performance of students who began as ELs and demonstrated proficiency by eighth grade was similar to or higher than students who were never classified as ELs, which suggests that students who fall into this category were offered supports appropriate for their academic needs."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Timing of English learner reclassification influences later outcomes such as high school graduation — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• More than half of students who began as ELs passed the ACCESS proficiency exam by third grade and three-fourths by fifth grade; students who had not passed by fifth grade were unlikely to pass before high school — related
• Publicly reported statistics based only on active ELs give a biased picture of EL performance because proficient students exit the subgroup — related
• Students who began kindergarten as English Learners had similar achievement and growth, and higher attendance, compared to students never classified as ELs — related
• ELs who received bilingual education services had higher long-run attendance and academic outcomes than kindergartners who refused bilingual services — related
• GPAs were very similar for students who did and did not enter CPS as ELs, with a reading-grade gap that closed by seventh grade and similar Freshman OnTrack rates — related
• Students who began as ELs were not overidentified for special education services relative to students never classified as ELs — related
• ELs who did not reach proficiency by eighth grade showed continued growth but started first grade with much lower ACCESS scores, and rising grade-level thresholds meant they never met the proficiency cut — related
• Years-as-EL course-taking differences disappear once eighth-grade test scores are considered — related
• Students who began as English Learners graduated from high school at a slightly higher rate than never-classified EL students and enrolled in college at about the same rate, with more two-year enrollment — related
• In Virginia, Hispanic/Latino children labeled English Learners with low kindergarten literacy were 20 percent less likely to achieve grade-3 reading proficiency than similar peers — related
• Students who meet Criterion 1 achieve at the same level whether they remain in EL status or exit, suggesting retention in EL status after proficiency provides no clear academic benefit — related
• Attending higher-rated schools (CPS School Quality Rating Policy) is associated with better math, reading, and English proficiency test outcomes for ELs — related