Understanding Waived English Learners (ELs): EL Service Opt-Out Patterns in Utah Elementary Schools

• In Event: Identifying and Supporting Multilingual Learners Across Systems and Classrooms

Abstract

Objective: We explore patterns of English learner (EL) waiver status among elementary students in Utah. Specifically, we focus on a seldom-studied subgroup—Waived ELs—who were identified as ELs but whose families opted out of EL services. We examine three research questions: (1) What proportion of EL-identified students waive services between kindergarten and fifth grade? (2) When do families typically waive services, and does timing vary across grade levels? (3) Among Waived ELs, how do students differ on key characteristics based on the number of times they waived services?

Framework: This study is grounded in a sociocultural perspective on language education, recognizing families’ agency in navigating EL services within complex linguistic, institutional, and policy contexts.

Methods: We use descriptive statistics and within-group comparisons to examine waiver trends and characteristics of Waived ELs. Comparisons by waiver frequency were conducted using chi-square tests.

Data Sources: The dataset includes five cohorts of EL-identified students enrolled in Utah across six academic years from kindergarten through fifth grade, totaling 28,148 students. The analytic sample was constructed using an intact-cohort approach common in longitudinal EL research (Clotfelter et al., 2009; Flores & Drake, 2014). Each cohort includes students who entered kindergarten and remained in the Utah elementary system through fifth grade (e.g., Cohort 1: 2010–2011 to 2015–2016). Key variables include chronic absenteeism, sex, race/ethnicity, household income status, immigrant status, native language, reclassification status, and special education status.

Results: Results show that only 420 EL-identified students (1.5%) waived services at least once between K–5, compared to 27,728 students (98.5%) who never waived. Among Waived ELs, the grade level of first-time waiver ranged from 12.4% (n = 52) in second grade to 19.5% (n = 82) in fifth grade, which also had the highest overall waiver activity.
Waived ELs were grouped into four waiver-frequency categories: once (n = 252), twice (n = 92), three times (n = 50), and four or more times (n = 26). Chi-square tests revealed significant within-group differences. Waiver frequency was associated with lower household income in Kindergarten, χ²(3, N = 420) = 10.60, p < .001, and Grade 1, χ²(3, N = 420) = 8.66, p = .033; students who waived only once were more likely to come from lower-income households. Waiver frequency was also significantly associated with reclassification status, χ²(3, N = 420) = 32.89, p < .001; students who waived four or more times were least likely to have been reclassified (53.9%) compared to 82.6%–92.1% in other groups. No significant differences were found for other characteristics.

Significance: This study contributes to the limited research on Waived ELs by documenting the proportion of and timing of service waivers. Although only 1.5% of students waived services, this subgroup remains relevant for policy and programmatic considerations. Waiver frequency was significantly associated with only a small number of student characteristics; however, limited associations across most variables suggests that the decision to waive EL services may not be systematically related to observable demographic or educational factors.

Authors

• Natalia Palacios, University of Virginia

• Bethany A. Bell, University of Virginia

• Min Hyun Oh, United States Department of Defense

• Natalie L. Bohlmann, Montana State University - Billings