The nation’s schools with high rates of student mobility have larger than average percentages of students who are low-income, receive special education, and are English-language learners, according to a recent study released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. I wrote a story about this study published at edweek.org last week. The study is based on data from the U.S. Department of Education only for K-8 students in schools.
The GAO researchers consider a school to have a high rate of mobility if more than 10 percent of K-8 students left by the end of the school year. They found that 11.5 percent of U.S. schools fall in that category.
At least one other study, based on data only from the state of Arizona, was released this year that showed a link between student mobility and English-language learners. A report prepared by the Regional Educational Laboratory West for the Institute of Education Sciences found that Arizona’s English-language learners are more likely to change schools than other students.