Making the Invisible Visible: Identifying and Interrogating Ethnic Differences in English Learner Reclassification

Abstract

This study explores disparities in reclassification outcomes between Chinese and Latinx English learner (EL) students in one large school district, along with possible mechanisms that drive these differences. Using mixed methods including discretetime hazard modeling of longitudinal administrative data and analysis of in-depth interviews with veteran EL educators and administrators, we find large and persistent ethnic differences in reclassification outcomes across grade levels. Drawing on prior research on inequalities among immigrant students, we find evidence that individual background characteristics, social capital, school and instructional contexts, and stereotypes and bias all contribute to variation in reclassification patterns. Importantly, reclassification processes may be sensitive to racial and ethnic biases, disproportionately limiting Latinx EL students' reclassification.

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