Abstract
Federal law defines eligibility for English learner (EL) classification differently for Indigenous students compared with non-Indigenous students. To be EL-eligible, non-Indigenous students are required to have a non-English primary language. Indigenous students, by contrast, can be English-dominant or English monolingual. A critical question, therefore, is how EL classification impacts Indigenous students’ educational outcomes. This study explores this question for Alaska Native students, drawing on data from five Alaska school districts. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find preliminary evidence that among students who score near the EL classification threshold in kindergarten, EL classification has a large negative impact on Alaska Native students’ academic outcomes in the third and fourth grades. Negative impacts are not found for non–Alaska Native students.
Publisher
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Reference147 articles.
1. Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. (n.d.). Data center. https://education.alaska.gov/data-center
2. Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. (2020). Guidance for English learner identification, assessment, and data reporting. https://education.alaska.gov/ESEA/TitleIII-A/docs/EL_Identification.docx