English Language Learners' Postsecondary Attainment: An Examination of High School Math Course-Taking and Postsecondary Expectations

• In Event: Roundtable Session 39
  In Roundtable Session: Trends in Second Language and Content Learning in Multilingual Settings

Abstract

Using the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS): 2002, we present an examination of postsecondary education (PSE) attainment of a nationally representative sample of English Language Learners (ELLs). Analysis shows that socio-economic status (SES), parent expectation and the number of years taking pre-calculus have significant effects on ELLs’ PSE attainment. For EPs, the effects of SES, student expectation, math teachers’ expectation, years of taking trigonometry and calculus have strong positive effects, while immigration generation status has strong negative effect on PSE attainment. For EMs, the effects of gender, SES, race/ethnicity, expectation variables and years taking Algebra II, trigonometry, pre-calculus and calculus were all found predictive of PSE attainment. Significance of these results and implications for educators and policymakers will be discussed.

Author

• Qi Shi, Loyola University Maryland