ERIC Number: ED664672
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Dec
Pages: 72
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Effect of English Learner Reclassification on Student Achievement and Noncognitive Outcomes
Grantee Submission
English learners' (ELs) day-to-day experiences in school change when reclassified as fully English proficient. Prior research, however, is mixed on how reclassification influences outcomes. Many studies also do not or cannot explore key long-term outcomes or identify impacts over time. In this study I leverage longitudinal student data in a regression discontinuity and find that reclassification after third grade affects ELs' achievement in the short and longer term. Reclassified ELs score considerably higher on mathematics and reading standardized tests in fifth and eighth grade. I also provide the first causal evidence for the impact of reclassification on several theoretically affected noncognitive outcomes. I find that reclassification substantially lowers the level of challenge for work assigned by teachers and increases ELs' out-of-school engagement in the short term. However, effects on noncognitive outcomes attenuate or reverse direction in the longer term. Together, these findings highlight the need for evaluations to consider multiple measures and to identify impacts over time when possible, especially when data on long-term outcomes such as high school graduation, college persistence, or labor market success are unavailable. [This paper was published in "Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness" v14 n1 p57-89 2021.]
Descriptors: English Learners, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Classification, Language Proficiency, Outcomes of Education, Grade 3, Elementary School Students, Reading Tests, Standardized Tests, Mathematics Tests, Scores, Grade 8, Grade 5, Attribution Theory, Educational Policy, Academic Achievement, Student Surveys, Student Attitudes, Language Tests, Public Schools
Related Records: EJ1293503
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Grade 3; Primary Education; Grade 8; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Grade 5; Intermediate Grades
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: North Carolina
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305B150010
Author Affiliations: N/A