A Longitudinal Study of the Progress of English Learners in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah

• In Event: Beyond the Homogeneous English Learner Classification: New Progress Analyses Using New, Multiple English Learner Subgroups

Abstract

Summary:
Purpose. This study describes the six-year cumulative progress of three grade-level cohorts of English learners (ELs) in English language proficiency (ELP), ELA, and mathematics.

Theoretical Framework. There is widespread concern about how to successfully educate the growing number of ELs, especially long-term ELs and reclassified fluent English proficient students (RFEPs) who struggle in content classes (ELA and mathematics) (Horwitz et al., 2009; Olsen, 2010; Quality Counts, 2009). By better understanding the progress of ELs over multiple years and in both ELP and subject matter classes, educators and policymakers can improve their targeting of interventions for ELs who are not achieving at desired levels.
Methods. This study examined the progress of ELs in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah in grades kindergarten (K), 3, and 6 from 2006/07 through 2011/12 on their ELP tests, and their ELA and mathematics content tests. This report describes the cumulative percentage of the ELs who reached three milestones during the study period:
• Scoring Proficient on the state ELP assessment (RFEP).
• Passing the ELA content test for the first time.
• Passing the math content test for the first time.
This study addressed two overarching research questions for each year of the study period:
• What was the cumulative percentage of ELs from each state and cohort who achieved RFEP and passed the ELA and math content tests for the first time?
• How did the cumulative passing percentage of ELs on each test vary by students’ initial ELP level, eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL), eligibility for individualized education program (IEP) services, gender, and grade level?
Data Sources. Data was collected from the state data sets of Arizona and Utah and from the two largest schools districts in Nevada, where 87% of ELs attend school. The analytic sample included all ELs who were enrolled in each state’s public schools in the designated grade of the first year of the cohort, progressed to the next grade level each year, and who had the required test data. Each state and grade-level cohort was analyzed separately. The sample sizes were Arizona (28,602), Nevada (14,064), and Utah (6,288).
Results. Representative results include (1) Consistently across the states, the largest differences in cumulative passing rates were associated with eligibility for IEP services and initial ELP level. Smaller differences in passing rates were associated with gender and eligibility for FRL. Older ELs had lower cumulative passing percentages on all three tests compared to younger ELs. (2) Variations across the states include differences in passing rates on their state tests (e.g., different passing rates across the state ELP tests) and differences in the passing rate rankings across the three tests (e.g., in Arizona, more ELs passed their ELP test, then their ELA test, and then their math test; in Utah more ELs passed their ELA test, then their math test, and then their ELP test) (Appendix A).

Significance. This study extends current EL research with a longitudinal analysis and new findings with implications for improving education policy and practice.

Authors

• Eric Haas, WestEd

• Min Huang, WestEd

• Loan Tran, WestEd