The need for nuance: Relationships between EL English proficiency and accountability outcomes (original) (raw)
Related papers
2017
The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 defines recently arrived English learners (RA ELs) as EL students who have been enrolled in U.S. schools for less than 12 months. For these students, the law permits States to select one of two options for including these students in the State's academic achievement accountability determinations. Option 1 excludes RA ELs from taking the required reading/language arts (R/LA) assessments in the first year of their enrollment and from any accountability determinations based on the R/LA, math, and English language proficiency (ELP) assessments; the students' results on R/LA, math, and ELP assessments, however, are still reported. During the second year, these students must be included in the State's R/LA assessment, in R/LA and math achievement indicator calculations, and in progress toward achieving ELP indicator calculations. Under option 2, States must assess and report the performance of RA ELs on R/LA, math, and ELP assessments in the first year of enrollment. If a State chooses this option, it may exclude a RA EL student's results from the school's academic achievement accountability determination for R/LA and math in the first year of enrollment; for a RA EL student's second year of enrollment, the State must use a measure of RA EL students' academic growth in R/LA and math in accountability determinations; and for the RA EL student's third and succeeding years, the State must include a measure of a RA EL's proficiency in R/LA and math in those determinations. A State could also assign option 1 or 2 (or no option at all) based on a RA EL student's initial English language proficiency level and other possible factors, on a statewide basis (termed "option 3" in this paper). 1 The following analyses use a guide published by the U.S. Department of Education on RA ELs (Linquanti & Cook, 2017) 2 to illustrate procedures that can be used to compare and contrast school-level overall and EL subgroup accountability determinations for proficiency in R/LA under the different options allowed by provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act. As a
2017
The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 defines recently arrived English learners (RA ELs) as EL students who have been enrolled in U.S. schools for less than 12 months. For these students, the law permits States to select one of two options for including these students in the State's academic achievement accountability determinations. Option 1 excludes RA ELs from taking the required reading/language arts (R/LA) assessments in the first year of their enrollment and from any accountability determinations based on the R/LA, math, and English language proficiency (ELP) assessments; the students' results on R/LA, math, and ELP assessments, however, are still reported. During the second year, these students must be included in the State's R/LA assessment, in R/LA and math achievement indicator calculations, and in progress toward achieving ELP indicator calculations. Under option 2, States must assess and report the performance of RA ELs on R/LA, math, and ELP assessments in the first year of enrollment. If a State chooses this option, it may exclude a RA EL student's results from the school's academic achievement accountability determination for R/LA and math in the first year of enrollment; for a RA EL student's second year of enrollment, the State must use a measure of RA EL students' academic growth in R/LA and math in accountability determinations; and for the RA EL student's third and succeeding years, the State must include a measure of a RA EL's proficiency in R/LA and math in those determinations. A State could also assign option 1 or 2 (or no option at all) based on a RA EL student's initial English language proficiency level and other possible factors, on a statewide basis (termed "option 3" in this paper). 1 The following analyses use a guide published by the U.S. Department of Education on RA ELs (Linquanti & Cook, 2017) 2 to illustrate procedures that can be used to compare and contrast school-level overall and EL subgroup accountability determinations for proficiency in R/LA under the different options allowed by provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act. As a
INTESOL Journal, 2014
English Learner (EL) achievement on standardized tests (ISTEP+) in Indiana publicly presents ELs as underachieving relative to non-ELs. This public narrative of EL performance is situated in a landscape of multiple educational policy changes at the state and federal levels (Indiana Department of Education, 2014c; "No Child Left Behind," 2001). The changing criterion for being EL, inclusion of ELs in state testing and misinterpretation of federal laws at the State Education Agency (SEA) level are examined along with the narratives of EL leaders charged with local implementation. Findings demonstrate that measuring the longitudinal growth and patterns of ELs over time is complex, as 14 documented changes have occurred in educational policy from 1999 to the 2013-2014 school year. Implications demonstrate the need for policy analysts to understand the local ecologies of Indiana schools serving ELs, including the narratives of those commissioned to implement reform changes for ELs.
The No Child Left Behind Act and English Language Learners: Assessment and Accountability Issues
Educational Researcher, 2004
There are major issues involved with the disaggregated No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in terms of its adequate yearly progress reporting for students with limited English proficiency (LEP). Inconsistent LEP classification, as well as the sparse population of LEP students in many states, threatens the validity of adequate yearly progress reporting. The LEP subgroup’s lack of stability also threatens accountability, since students attaining English proficiency move out of the subgroup. The linguistic complexity of assessment tools may lower LEP student performance in areas with greater language demand. Finally, schools with larger numbers of LEP students with lower baselines may require greater gains. Thus, NCLB’s mandates may unintentionally place undue pressure on schools with high numbers of LEP students. Continuing efforts to remedy these issues should bring more fair assessment and accountability
Accountability Lessons for Indiana Schools Serving English Learners
Indiana English learners (ELs) are low-performers on the annual standardized test and they constitute a rapidly growing segment of the school-aged population. Authors of this exploratory study implement descriptive statistics to compare demographic and accountability data of schools serving large EL populations to those of schools serving smaller EL populations and schools not serving ELs. Analyses of performance and adequate yearly progress (AYP) reports on schools and school corporations between 2002 and 2011 show that schools serving large EL populations were less likely to make AYP, were held accountable for more subgroups, and served larger percentages of low-income students. These findings provide evidence that Indiana's accountability system put schools with large EL populations at an unfair disadvantage. Starting in the 2010-11 school year, Indiana began using an A-F grading system to evaluate its schools. While the stated intention of the new, stricter accountability system is to raise the performance of all students, it may result in serious consequences for schools which were already struggling to make AYP under the previous system. Based on their findings, the authors discuss the implications and offer recommendations for teachers, administrators, and policymakers to increase the general understanding of how policies impact schools serving ELs.
2014
Indiana English learners (ELs) are low-performers on the annual standardized test and they constitute a rapidly growing segment of the school-aged population. Authors of this exploratory study implement descriptive statistics to compare demographic and accountability data of schools serving large EL populations to those of schools serving smaller EL populations and schools not serving ELs. Analyses of performance and adequate yearly progress (AYP) reports on schools and school corporations between 2002 and 2011 show that schools serving large EL populations were less likely to make AYP, were held accountable for more subgroups, and served larger percentages of lowincome students. These findings provide evidence that Indiana's accountability system put schools with large EL populations at an unfair disadvantage. Starting in the 2010-11 school year, Indiana began using an A-F grading system to evaluate its schools. While the stated intention of the new, stricter accountability system is to raise the performance of all students, it may result in serious consequences for schools which were already struggling to 11 Accountability Lessons for Indiana Schools make AYP under the previous system. Based on their findings, the authors discuss the implications and offer recommendations for teachers, administrators, and policymakers to increase the general understanding of how policies impact schools serving ELs.
Obscuring English Learners from State Accountability: The Case of Indiana’s Language Blind Policies
Educational Policy, 2019
The conjoining of Indiana state and federal accountability plans during the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) flexibility waiver (2012-2015) was an attempt at one combined system to furnish information in a simple and transparent manner, while obscuring the performances of English learner’s (EL) English progress and EL reclassification. We identify how school grades are impacted by English learning progress and reclassification relative to district’s demographic profiles. Findings suggest that English learning progress significantly impacts school grades, but most sanctions are placed on achievement and EL reclassification, sending incomplete and incoherent signals to Indiana schools. Implications related to educational decentralization throughout the globe and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) are discussed.
2019
Due to increases in immigration patterns, U.S. schools face many challenges when educating this fast-growing minority immigrant population who confront many social, cultural, economic, and linguistic obstacles. Lack of English proficiency, in many instances, impedes this newly arrived group from fully integrating and participating within societal contexts. Children of immigrants have the dichotomous task of learning academic content and demonstrating subject knowledge on high stakes assessments while learning English as a new language. English Learners, Hispanics in particular, are twice as likely to drop out of school. Dropout rates create accountability issues for schools in the U.S. that have experienced a dramatic increase in the number of English Learners they service. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if there was a statistical relationship between English Learners’ English proficiency levels and high stakes reading test scores in the Common...
Accountability Ratings of Elementary Schools: Student Demographics Matter
Current Issues in Education, 2011
The researchers examined the most recent year of data (i.e., 2008-2009) from the Texas Academic Excellence Indicator System regarding accountability ratings and student characteristics (i.e., ethnicity, programmatic enrollment, mobility) in elementary schools (n = 4,110). Accountability ratings (i.e., Exemplary, Recognized, Academically Acceptable, and Academically Unacceptable) are assigned primarily based upon school performance on state-mandated tests by student subgroups. Exemplary elementary school campuses had statistically significantly lower percentages of Black students, Hispanic students, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, students with Limited English Proficient, and mobility percent (i.e., being at the school less than 83% of the school year) whereas Academically Unacceptable had the highest percentages in all these areas. As such, accountability ratings in Texas elementary schools were clearly related to student characteristics and not just test scor...