Variation in Ever English Learners’ Programmatic Experiences and Postsecondary Trajectories: Implications for Policy and Practice

• In Event: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Educational Access, Achievement, and Schooling Experiences

Abstract

The backgrounds and experiences of students who have ever been identified as English learners (ever-ELs) during K–12 vary considerably, with differences in grade of entry into the U.S. school system, duration in EL status, and, for some, waiving out of English language development services. We use longitudinal state administrative data with repeated measures of EL status to examine the college entrance; college type; and early, intermediate, and long-term college outcomes of Spanish-speaking ever-EL students in Texas. By linking K–12, postsecondary, and workforce data, we control for differences in students’ demographic and academic characteristics and examine the association between their EL programmatic experiences and postsecondary outcomes. Our results offer new insights into the postsecondary trajectories of ever-EL high-school seniors.

Authors

• Lauren Schudde, University of Texas at Austin

• Rebecca M. Callahan, University of Vermont

• Yujin Kwon, University of Texas at Austin

• Kimberly Pack-Cosme, University of Texas at Austin