Effects of Reclassifying English Learner Students on Student Achievement

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Attaining English proficiency is a critical juncture for English learner students. When students are reclassified as fluent English proficient, it is a sign that they can engage in academic learning without specialized English language learning supports. New Mexico state policy requires English learner students to achieve an overall English proficiency level score of 5.0 or higher on the ACCESS for ELLs (ACCESS) assessment to demonstrate English proficiency and be reclassified. In summer 2016, the WIDA consortium undertook a standards setting process to better align the ACCESS assessment’s proficiency level scores with current college- and career-ready standards. The Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest English Learners Research Partnership wanted to understand whether the score threshold appropriately identifies students who have attained English proficiency. Key findings include the following: After the ACCESS standards setting, fewer English learner students in grades 3–8 attained English proficiency and were reclassified as fluent English proficient. The percentage who attained English proficiency and were reclassified ranged from 2 percent in 2017/18 to 5 percent 2018/19. Before the ACCESS standards setting, the percentage ranged from 17 percent in 2014/15 and 2015/16 to 20 percent 2016/17. English learner student reclassification did not affect students’ next-year English language arts or math achievement, on average, either in the years before or in the years after the ACCESS standards setting. In the years after the standards setting, English learner student reclassification did not affect next-year English language arts and math achievement among most groups of students with different characteristics. There were no statistically significant differences in the effects of reclassification among students in grades 3–5, students in grades 6–8, students of Hispanic ethnicity, female students, and male students