Title: English language learners in an accountability landscape
Description: The passing of No Child Left Behind has reawakened interest in several perennial topics: time-to-reclassification, long-term ELLs, the impact of language policy on student outcomes, and differences in retention patterns. This thesis consists of four studies that, together, address topics infrequently addressed by researchers (i.e., predictors of long-term ELL status), as well as tackle familiar questions by improving on the methods previously used (i.e., time-to-reclassification). Using discrete-time survival analysis to estimate how long it takes kindergarten ELLs (n=7,435) to be reclassified as English proficient (Study 1), I found that, on average, it takes ELLs a little over four years to be reclassified. Furthermore, examining the relationship between student characteristics and time-to-reclassification revealed that ELLs who are U.S.-born, male, or come from homes where Arabic or Spanish are spoken take longer to become English proficient. In Study 2, I explored which student characteristics and program types were predictive of becoming a long-term ELL (LTEL), i.e., not being reclassified after more than 6 years in U.S. schools (n=5,744). I found that about a quarter of incoming, kindergarten ELLs are at risk of becoming LTELs. Moreover, when controlling for English proficiency at the end of kindergarten, various student- and school-level predictors are associated with becoming a LTEL. Using a regression discontinuity design to estimate the impact of an offer of language support services after kindergarten on ELLs' third grade English language arts and mathematics achievement (n=21,700) (Study 3), I found no impact on third grade achievement for students at the margin of failing. I conclude that the threshold for reclassification may be too high, limiting services from inducing a marginal effect for these specific students.

The final study uses correlational methods to examine whether there are differences in grade retention rates between ELLs and non-ELLs in grades K-5 over a 5-year period, as well as whether there are differences in retention rates between grades where subjective grade promotion criteria are used (i.e., grades, teacher observation, attendance) and grades where standardized tests are the primary source of information used for grade promotion decisions. I found that ELLs have higher retention rates at almost all grade levels and regardless of the type of grade promotion criteria used. I conclude by providing a set of policy recommendations that are informed by the findings from this thesis and some of the existing literature.
Subjects: English language, Study and teaching, Foreign speakers, Children of immigrants, Education, Educational evaluation
Places: United States