Three Studies Shine a Light on Positive English Learner Outcomes

By

Leslie Villegas

Since 2019, the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research (UChicago Consortium) has been conducting research on the educational experiences and outcomes of the English learner (EL) population in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). This body of work, led by Marisa de la Torre, managing director and senior research associate at the UChicago Consortium, spans from pre-k, into early elementary and middle grades, through high school, and into higher education. Three studies have been released thus far, the most recent of which was released in November 2024, and all three are rooted on the premise that we have a limited and biased understanding of the academic achievement and needs of EL-identified students.

As the authors note, data collection and reporting for ELs tends to focus only on those currently identified (or active ELs as they are referred to in the reports). This practice renders former EL students invisible in the data. What is more, solely focusing on active ELs, treats the population as a homogeneous group with no room for nuance surrounding their backgrounds, educational needs or outcomes. And as a result, deficit-based claims about what these students are capable of dominate the public discourse and paint the picture that EL students are perpetually "lagging behind" their peers. Together these reports contribute to a more balanced and positive picture of EL students' educational experiences and outcomes.

English learners' performance is academically on-par and often exceeds that of non-ELs

According to the first report, "English Learners in Chicago Public Schools: A New Perspective," students who began kindergarten as ELs actually had similar achievement, progressed academically at similar rates, and had higher attendance compared to students who were never classified as ELs. This was particularly true for ELs that were reclassified by 8th grade. The authors were able to pinpoint these outcomes by looking at K-8 students who were continuously enrolled from kindergarten (including 18,000 students who started out as English learners) and comparing their academic performance to those who were never ELs, as well as those who did and did not exit EL status by 8th grade.

The analysis found that when all students in the CPS cohorts were included, math scores were only slightly lower than those of students never classified as ELs, and gains on math scores from third to eighth grade were almost identical. Additionally, although reading scores for 3rd grade ELs were lower, the authors note that this was not surprising given that few students who began as ELs reclassified before third grade and the reading assessment is conducted in English. Importantly, because ELs progressed faster than never ELs between grades 3-8, the "achievement gap" closed by half by the time students reached 8th grade.

In addition, the report found that about one-fifth of students who started kindergarten as ELs did not reclassify by the beginning of high school. These students were likely to be male and identified as needing special education services. These students also began 1st grade with lower English proficiency scores than their peers who eventually did exit EL status.

English learners who had access to full-day pre-k programs do better in the long-term

UChicago Consortium's second report sought to understand not only what factors were associated with stronger outcomes for ELs in preK-3 but also identify EL students who may benefit from additional support. The research team looked at 14,058 ELs in pre-K and 16,651 ELs in K-3. For the first question, the researchers found that full-day pre-K programs were associated with stronger attendance and kindergarten readiness in terms of English language development and early literacy. Furthermore, EL students that enrolled in full-day pre-K classrooms before the age of four supported their kindergarten readiness in terms of English language development and early reading skills. Differences in performance between those who attended full-day pre-K and those who did not were detectable as far as third grade. And lastly, ELs who received bilingual services had better attendance and did better academically by the end of third grade than those who refused bilingual services in kindergarten.

And for the second question, the study identified English learners with low screener scores in pre-K and kindergarten, and dual identified English learners (students with identified disabilities who are also ELs) as students who may benefit from additional and targeted support. This is because low screener scores in pre-K/K were associated with lower academic performance in reading and math and lower English proficiency levels even after four years in school, and EL students with identified disabilities were found to make slower progress towards English proficiency than non-EL students with identified disabilities, and had lower attendance.

Former English learners have successful high school careers and go on to college

Currently identified ELs are less likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college than their non-EL peers. But is this true for former ELs and different groups of currently identified EL students? The third and latest report sought to answer this question by looking at the performance of former ELs (those who were reclassified as English proficient before entering high school) as well as subsets of students that were labeled as ELs at the time of enrollment in 9th grade. These subsets of ELs included long-term English learners (those that had been identified for six or more years) with and without individualized education plans (IEPs), and late-arriving English Learners (English Learners who have been classified as such for fewer than six years). The researchers teased out the academic performance, college enrollment, and college attainment of these different groups of students and found that although ELs were not perpetually struggling, specific groups of ELs do need additional support.

Specifically, the study found that former ELs had higher academic achievement, attainment, and persistence and were more likely to enroll in two-year colleges compared to the district average, though their four-year college enrollment was similar to the district average. Long-term ELs without IEPs, on the other hand, had lower academic achievement and attainment, were more likely to enroll in two-year colleges, and less likely to enroll in four-year colleges. And those that did enroll in a four-year institution had lower persistence rates. These students were less likely to be considered "on-track" in 9th grade.

Long-term ELs with IEPs had lower outcomes compared to the district average, though their performance and attainment was similar to other students with IEPs. Their college enrollment and persistence was also similar to non-ELs with IEPs. And lastly, EL students who arrived after third grade (i.e. late-arriving ELs) had graduation rates close to the district average, though their SAT scores were low. These students were more likely to enroll in a two-year college and less likely to attend a four-year institution. Their standardized test scores were low though their grades were strong and sometimes higher than other students, and when they did attend college they were more successful than former and never ELs.

Collectively, these findings paint a more holistic picture of students identified as English learners in K-12 schools. These reports allow us to better understand the nuances within the EL student population and dispel myths about their academic performance and outcomes. Some students do really well once they shed the EL label, performing better than their never-EL peers in some cases. While others' English development stagnates and end up struggling in academic areas. Some excel in high school and beyond, while others require a bit more support to perform on-par with their peers. One thing is for certain: the EL label is not indicative of low performance and academic failings.