Screening language practices are related to English language education program type: SEI students were mostly screened in English while DLBE students were more often screened in Spanish or alternately¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? English learners in structured English immersion programs were mostly screened in English, sometimes with additional Spanish screening, whereas those in dual language bilingual education programs were more often screened in Spanish or assessed alternately between languages. → Soo Ping Chow 2025

Evidence¶

Soo Ping Chow 2025¶

Soo Ping Chow, A., Faulkner-Bond, M., Lemke, M., LeBeau, B., & Quesen, S. (2025). How English learners are screened for risk of reading difficulty: Use of English- and Spanish-language screeners in the 2023/24 school year. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED677598

q2 · i? · associational · r1

Cluster analysis of language-of-assessment patterns for 23,955 English learners shows program enrollment differences: clusters screened mostly in English had 92–98% SEI enrollment, while clusters screened more in Spanish had 93% and 51% DLBE enrollment. The brief reports SEI students were "mostly screened in English, sometimes with additional screening in Spanish."

"English learners in structured English immersion (SEI) programs were mostly screened in English, sometimes with additional screening in Spanish."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Schools serving students in the Spanish-dominant screening clusters appeared out of compliance with the Massachusetts requirement to screen with an approved (English-only) assessment at least twice per year — related
• English-only screening is the norm for English learners in Massachusetts: 90 percent were assessed only in English across all three screening periods in 2023/24 — related
• English learners' progress beyond the significant risk level differed by test language: 21 percent stayed above threshold in English and 19 percent improved to it, versus 11 percent improving in Spanish — related
• Children's language use in writing tasks differs by instructional program, with English immersion students often writing in English when prompted to write in Spanish — related