English Learners are a large and growing share of the US student population. But assessing how schools are serving these students is complicated by the fact that language supports are intended to be temporary. Once students become proficient in English, their outcomes (test scores, graduation rates, etc.) are typically lumped together with those of students who were never classified as English learners—a practice that makes it difficult to know how well ELs are being served in the long run. New analyses by our colleagues at the Center for the Success of English Learners examines the flow of students into the NYC public school system, and in and out of the English Learner classification. Leveraging insights from these analyses, the researchers explore the high school experiences and outcomes of “current, former and never English Learners.” 

Read the research: