ERIC Number: ED671899
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jun
Pages: 75
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Resource for Self-Determination or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Examining the Impact of English Learner Classification among Alaska Native Students. EdWorkingPaper No. 21-420
Ilana M. Umansky; Manuel Vazquez Cano; Lorna M. Porter
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Federal law defines eligibility for English learner (EL) classification differently for Indigenous students compared to non-Indigenous students. Indigenous students, unlike non-Indigenous students, are not required to have a non-English home or primary language. A critical question, therefore, is how EL classification impacts Indigenous students' educational outcomes. This study explores this question for Alaska Native students, drawing on data from five Alaska school districts. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find evidence that among students who score near the EL classification threshold in kindergarten, EL classification has a large negative impact on Alaska Native students' academic outcomes, especially in the 3rd and 4th grades. Negative impacts are not found for non-Alaska Native students in the same districts.
Descriptors: English Learners, Classification, Grade 3, Grade 4, Elementary School Students, Alaska Natives, Outcomes of Education, Academic Achievement, School Districts, Kindergarten, Native Language, Eskimo Aleut Languages, Indigenous Populations, North Americans, Identification, Educational Policy
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Grade 3; Primary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Kindergarten
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Location: Alaska
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A