Initial Spanish Proficiency and English Language Development Among Spanish Speaking English Learner Students in New Mexico

This study of the 2010 and 2011 kindergarten cohorts of Spanish-speaking English learner students in four school districts in New Mexico examined the connection between initial Spanish proficiency and English language development, as well as grade-level readiness by grade 4 or 5 in English language arts and math. Key findings include:

• More than 80 percent of English learner students in the 2010 cohort started kindergarten at the lowest English proficiency level, as did half of those in the 2011 cohort.

• A majority of students in both cohorts attained English proficiency by grade 4, but students with high initial Spanish proficiency were more likely to do so.

• Among English learner students with low or medium initial Spanish proficiency, roughly a quarter of the 2010 cohort were not reclassified as fluent English proficient by grade 5, and roughly half the 2011 cohort were not reclassified by grade 4.

• Of English learner students who were reclassified as fluent English proficient by grade 4 or 5, fewer than a quarter also demonstrated grade-level readiness in grade 4 or 5 English language arts or math on standardized academic assessments.