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English Language Proficiency Levels of Limited English Proficient Students in Idaho

Region:

Northwest

Description:

English language proficiency levels of limited English proficient students in Idaho, examines statewide results on the Idaho English Language Assessment (IELA), the federally mandated annual assessment Idaho administers to all limited English proficient (LEP) students. It documents the distribution of LEP students across English proficiency levels on the IELA in 2010 and compares it with results for 2007. It shows how the distribution varied for LEP students by grade spans in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension. It also compared results across subgroups of LEP students based on gender, participation in the free or reduced-price lunch program, Spanish as the primary language, enrollment in a U.S. public school for the first time in the previous 12 months, migrant status, and enrollment in special education.

The study’s major findings include the following:

  • In 2010, the proficiency levels with the smallest percentage of LEP students were the beginning and advanced beginning levels (16.4 percent in kindergarten and 7.6–9.3 percent of students in grades 1–12). Most LEP students had an intermediate, early fluent, or fluent proficiency level.
  • There were few differences in the proficiency levels of LEP students across the five IELA domains, with more than half of students at the early fluent/fluent level in each domain.
  • In every grade span, more female LEP students than male LEP students scored at the early fluent or fluent level.
Publication Type:

Issues & Answers

Online Availability:
Publication Date:
January 2012