ERIC Number: ED622075
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Sep
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Effects of Reclassifying English Learner Students on Student Achievement in New Mexico. REL 2022-138
Garrett, Rachel; Larsen, Eric; Arellanes, Melissa
Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest
This study examined how attaining English proficiency and being reclassified as fluent English proficient affected achievement in English language arts and math in the first year after student reclassification in grades 3-8 in New Mexico. State policy in New Mexico bases student reclassification decisions on whether students attain a minimum overall English language proficiency level score of 5.0 on the ACCESS for ELLs (ACCESS) assessment. The study focused on achievement among English learner students in 2014/15-2018/19, a time when the ACCESS underwent a standards setting process to better align its language proficiency scoring scale with the expectations of college- and career-ready standards. After the standards setting, a smaller percentage of English learner students in New Mexico attained English proficiency and were reclassified each year. At the same time, students who scored near the English proficiency level required for reclassification performed above the statewide average in English language arts and math and were more likely to meet state content proficiency standards. However, the study found no effects of reclassification on student achievement either before or after the ACCESS standards setting. In addition, the study found no effect of reclassification on next-year English language arts and math achievement among most groups of students with different characteristics and among most districts in the study. Leaders at the New Mexico Public Education Department could use the findings of this study to consider maintaining the current reclassification threshold. In addition, the state and its districts might want to identify opportunities to strengthen the supports provided to English learner students. This could begin by collecting more systematic information on the education services and supports that English learner students receive leading up to and after they attain English proficiency. [For the Study Snapshot, see ED622076. For the appendixes, see ED622078.]
Descriptors: English Language Learners, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Language Proficiency, Language Arts, Academic Achievement, Mathematics Achievement, Classification, Student Characteristics, Public Education, Language Fluency, Academic Standards, Racial Differences, Ethnicity, Gender Differences, School Districts
Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest. Available from: Institute of Education Sciences. 550 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20202. Tel: 202-245-6940; Web site: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/southwest/index.asp
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Grade 3; Primary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Grade 5; Middle Schools; Grade 6; Grade 7; Junior High Schools; Secondary Education; Grade 8
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest (ED/IES); National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) (ED/IES); American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Identifiers - Location: New Mexico
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: 91990018C0002
IES Publication: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/Products/Publication/100814
Author Affiliations: N/A