1. What were the high school outcomes, college enrollment, and two-year persistence rates of English Learners—students who were still English Learners in high school, and those who were previously classified as English Learners but had attained English proficiency by high school?
Most school, district, and state data only reports on active English Learners—which means we can't understand how different groups of English Learners experience successes and challenges. Continuously reporting only on active English Learners obscures the successes of English Learners as a full group.
Two prior Consortium reports found English Learners are not perpetually low-performing, as publicly reported numbers suggest.
This new study shines a light on English Learners’ high school and college experiences.
“Often, the only available data on English Learners reports current English Learners. That misses a large group of students who reached English proficiency—who are enormously successful. We recognize and see their successes, and the strengths of the programs that helped them succeed. And, at the same time, we recognize that many high schoolers who are English Learners need more robust supports.”
Marisa de la Torre, lead author & Managing Director and Senior Research Associate
Key Takeaways
- Most students who were formerly English Learners graduated from high school, and they persisted in college at rates higher than the district average.
- Students who were long-term English Learners had cumulative GPA and SAT scores that were lower than district average, and, among college enrollees, had lower four-year college persistence rates.
- Students who were late-arriving English Learners had SAT scores that were lower than the district average, but higher cumulative GPA than the district average, and had high college persistence among students who enrolled in college.
Detailed Findings
Students formerly classified as English Learners during their time in CPS—who were by far the largest group of English Learners:
- They had higher-than-district-average outcomes: cumulative GPAs and SAT scores; high school graduation rate; two-year college enrollment rate; and two-year college persistence rate (among all college enrollees).
- Their enrollment rate into four-year colleges was similar to the district average.
Students classified as long-term English Learners:
- Their high school GPA and SAT scores were below the district average, they were less likely to enroll in college, and were less likely to persist if they did enroll in college.
Students classified as late-arriving English Learners:
- They were less likely to be Latinx than other English Learner groups (57% Latinx students for this group vs. around 90% Latinx for other English Learners).
- Their high school graduation rate was 81%, close to the district average of 84%, but their SAT scores were lower.
- They were more likely to enroll in a two-year college than the district average, and their two-year college persistence was higher than most other students who enrolled in college.
Group Definitions
Former English Learners:
- Students who were formerly classified as English Learners during their time in CPS but demonstrated English proficiency and exited English Learner (EL) status by the ninth grade.
- They represented 23% of the ninth-grade student population and the majority of students ever classified as English Learners in these three cohorts.
Long-term English Learners without IEPs:
- Active English Learners in the ninth grade who had been in CPS for six or more years (i.e., third grade or earlier) without demonstrating English proficiency through the ACCESS test and did not have an IEP for an identified disability at the beginning of ninth grade.
- They represented 4% of the ninth-grade student population.
Long-term English Learners with IEPs:
- Active English Learners in the ninth grade who had been in CPS for six or more years (i.e., third grade or earlier) without demonstrating English proficiency through the ACCESS test and had an IEP for an identified disability at the beginning of ninth grade.
- They represented 3% of the ninth-grade student population.
Late-arriving English Learners:
- Active English Learners in the ninth grade who had been in CPS for fewer than six years (i.e., after third grade).
- They represented 3% of the ninth-grade student population.
Students who were never classified as English Learners represented 67% of the ninth-grade student population.
Click below to view a 90-second episode of GO FIGURE, with Kaitlyn Franklin explaining Figure 4 of this research (November 20, 2024).
Presione abajo para ver un episodio de GO FIGURE de 90 segundos con Carlos Angeles hablando de la figure 4 de esta publicación (20 de Noviembre de 2024).
