Reading & Literacy Report Roundup

Research Report: English-Language Learners

By Sarah D. Sparks — June 19, 2018 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Current and former English-language learners have improved faster than English-only students in the past 15 years on the test dubbed “the nation’s report card,” finds a new study in the journal Education Researcher.

Fourth and 8th grade multilingual students’ scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in math and reading have risen two to three times faster since 2003 than those of students who speak only English at home. When researchers included not just current ELLs, but also former ones who had since gained proficiency in the language, they found the gap between English-only and multilingual 4th graders closed by 24 percent in reading and 37 percent in math from 2003 to 2015. For 8th graders, the gaps closed by 27 percent in reading and 39 percent in math in that time.

A version of this article appeared in the June 20, 2018 edition of Education Week as English-Language Learners

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar Navigating the Rapid Pace of Education Policy Change: Your Questions, Answered
Join this free webinar to gain an understanding of key education policy developments affecting K-12 schools.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Reading & Literacy Opinion Don't Underestimate the Power of Graphic Novels for the Classroom
Not just an easy read: Comics and graphic novels can teach a host of skills, three educators explain.
11 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Letter to the Editor Reading Comprehension Matters
Focusing on evidence-based teaching practices is critical when teaching students how to read, says this letter to the editor.
1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Reading & Literacy What the Research Says Want to Improve Early Reading Comprehension? Start With Sentence Structure
We speak differently than we write. For comprehension development, children need exposure to syntax common to both.
2 min read
Hispanic schoolteacher reading aloud to her young students
E+ / Getty
Reading & Literacy Opinion If Literacy Is a Priority, Why Do We Cling to the Wrong Practices?
There have been two huge developments this year related to how we teach reading.
Mike Schmoker
4 min read
A figure stands above pool in form of book, ready to jump in fantastic world of imagination and inspiration. Concept of knowledge, literature, education, literacy, reading, writing, phonics.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Anton Vierietin/iStock + Getty Images