A Descriptive Analysis of Enrollment and Achievement among English Language Learner Students in Pennsylvania. Summary. Issues &amp; Answers. REL 2012-No. 127
Author: O'Conner, Rosemarie
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Achievement Gap,Comparative Analysis,Educational Indicators,Educational Change,Educational Trends,English (Second Language),English Language Learners,Enrollment Trends,Language Proficiency,Limited English Speaking,Public Schools,Scores,Standardized Tests,State Standards,Student Evaluation,Time Perspective,Trend Analysis,Mathematics Achievement,Reading Achievement,Writing Achievement,Grade 3,Grade 4,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Grade 11

This study describes English language learner (ELL) student enrollment and achievement trends in Pennsylvania public schools between 2002/03 and 2008/09. Two research questions guide this study: (1) How did the enrollment of ELL students in Pennsylvania public schools change between 2002/03 and 2008/09?; and (2) How did performance (the percentage scoring at the proficient or advanced level) on state assessments in reading, math, and writing in grades 3-8 and 11 compare between ELL and non-ELL students in Pennsylvania public schools from 2004/05 to 2008/09? The study's main findings on enrollment trends include: (1) Although Pennsylvania's total student enrollment fell 2.4 percent between 2002/03 and 2008/09, the enrollment of ELL students rose 24.7 percent. ELL student enrollment increased from 2.1 percent of the student population in 2002/03 to 2.7 percent in 2008/09; (2) ELL students in Pennsylvania spoke 211 languages in 2008/09, up from 138 in 2002/03. In 2008/09, Spanish (spoken by 57.6 percent of ELL students in the state) had the most speakers, followed by English dialects (7.0 percent), Chinese (3.6 percent), Vietnamese (3.2 percent), Arabic (2.6 percent), and Russian (2.3 percent). ELL students speaking &quot;other&quot; languages (languages other than the 18 most common in the state) accounted for 12.2 percent of the ELL student population in 2008/09; and (3) Between 2002/03 and 2008/09, the number and percentage of ELL students speaking Spanish and English dialects increased, while the number and percentage of ELL students speaking Vietnamese, Russian, and &quot;other&quot; languages decreased. The number of ELL students speaking Chinese and Arabic increased, but the percentage decreased. The study's main findings on achievement trends include: (1) Between 2004/05 and 2008/09, ELL students' performance in reading increased 3.6-10.8 percentage points in grades 3, 4, and 8 but decreased 4.1-9.5 percentage points in grades 5, 6, 7, and 11; (2) Between 2004/05 and 2008/09, ELL students' performance in math increased  1.4-3.2 percentage points in grades 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 but decreased 3.0-5.5 percentage  points in grades 5 and 11; (3) Between 2005/06 and 2008/09, ELL students' performance in writing decreased 2.5-10.0 percentage points in all grades studied (grades 5, 8, and 11); (4) In every year during the period studied, non-ELL students' performance was 21-55 percentage points higher than that of ELL students in reading, math, and writing; (5) In every year during the period studied, ELL and non-ELL students' performance in reading was closer in grades 3-5 than in grades 6-8 and 11; ELL and non-ELL students' performance in math and writing was closer in grades 3-5 and grade 11 than in grades 6-8; (6) During the period studied, the overall achievement gap in reading, math, and writing between ELL and non-ELL students widened in all grades studied except grade 3, where the achievement gap narrowed in reading and math; (7) During the period studied and in all grades studied, the average achievement gap between ELL and non-ELL students was narrower in math than in reading and writing. In all grades studied, the average achievement gap between ELL and non-ELL students was wider in reading than in writing; and (8) During the period studied, the average achievement gap in reading, writing, and math widened from elementary school (grades 3-5) to middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grade 11), except in grade 11 math and writing. (Contains 4 notes.) [For the full report, &quot;A Descriptive Analysis of Enrollment and Achievement among English Language Learner Students in Pennsylvania. Issues &amp; Answers. REL 2012-No. 127,&quot; see ED531434.]