Study of the Impact of English Learner Classification and Reclassification Policies

Entry into and exit from English learner (EL) status are high-stakes decisions with implications for student achievement in the U.S. EL status governs the instructional settings and language supports available to students. Since former ELs are no longer entitled to language supports, exiting EL status too soon can leave these students unprepared for success in general education settings. However, maintaining EL status for too long can compromise students' opportunities to learn academic content among their peers. The decision is complicated by lack of universal agreement on a definition for English proficiency and wide variation in entrance and exit criteria. To reduce variability in EL entry and exit procedures within states, the 2015 reauthorization of Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA) required states to develop standardized procedures. The shift to statewide standardization in procedures provided a unique opportunity to study the impact of classification and reclassification nationwide. This study would have assessed how impacts for students varied across contexts, such as the level of proficiency states required to exit, whether states considered factors other than ELP assessment scores, instructional policies, policies for monitoring and serving former ELs, and characteristics of the EL population enrolled.