Disaggregating Student Achievement by Home Language Groups: An Analysis of Urban Asian American Students

• In Event: 33.078 - Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: 33.078-21 - Research on the Education of Asian and Pacific Americans SIG Roundtable: Where Do Asian Pacific American Students Fit in the Landscape of the American Education System?

Abstract

We examined the variations on state math and English test performance among Asian American students enrolled in grades 3-8 in a large urban public school district. Because the majority of Asian students in this school district come from homes where a language other than English is spoken, we used home language to disaggregate the population into 7 subgroups (Cantonese, Mandarin, non-specified Chinese dialects, Korean, Bengali, Urdu, and Punjabi). Comparison across the language groups showed significant variability on math and English proficiency as well as on proportion of English Language Learners (ELL) and a measure of poverty. Regression analyses showed that even after taking ELL and poverty factors into account, there were differences among Asian subgroups in math and English proficiency.

Authors

• Sumie Okazaki, New York University

• Suzanne Elgendy, New York City Department of Education