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...