Poster #11 - Beyond English Learner Status: Evidence on Reclassification Timing and Academic Outcomes

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

This paper examines the causal effect of English Learner (EL) reclassification timing on academic outcomes in elementary school. While EL programs are designed to support students’ English development, prolonged classification may also limit access to general education content and carry unintended stigmas. Despite the high-stakes nature of reclassification decisions, little causal evidence exists on whether earlier or later reclassification is academically beneficial. Leveraging an exogenous change in Virginia’s English proficiency assessment, this study applies a fuzzy regression discontinuity (RDD) design to estimate the impact of reclassification on state test scores in 4th grade. In 2017–18, the state adopted a revised ACCESS for ELLs exam (ACCESS 2.0), which raised the proficiency standard required for EL reclassification. The resulting shift along the proficiency requirement near the threshold creates a natural experiment to identify causal effects at two different levels. Using student-level administrative records from Virginia Department of Education, the analysis finds that reclassification at lower levels of English proficiency led to gains in English Language Arts (ELA) performance, while the effect on math was not statistically significant. At higher proficiency levels, reclassification did not yield measurable academic benefits in both subjects. These findings suggest that retaining students in EL status until they reach higher proficiency may not produce the intended academic advantages—and that earlier reclassification could, in some contexts, be more beneficial. This study contributes to the growing literature on EL policy and offers timely insights for educators and state agencies reconsidering reclassification standards and the design of language support services.

Author

• Dong Hoon Lee, Syracuse University
  Presenting Author