A mixed-methods study: Districts’ implementation of language classification policies and the implications for male, Hispanic, and low-income middle school students

Authors

  • Marcela Reyes University of California, Irvine
  • Thurston Domina University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.27.4210

Keywords:

English language learners, language classification policies, mixed-methods

Abstract

California state policy requires English language learners (ELL) to pass the California English Language Development Test and the California Standards Test in English Language Arts to be Reclassified Fluent English Proficient (RFEP). However, most districts make it more difficult for ELL students to reclassify by setting reclassification requirements that are more stringent than the state-mandated requirement. In this paper, we examine the reclassification process for two California school districts. In Manzanita Unified School District, administrators describe a system that explicitly provides a role for parents and teachers to influence reassignment decisions. In Granada Unified School District, administrators describe a system that is exclusively test-driven. Nevertheless, these two approaches yield similar reclassification outcomes. In both districts, male, Hispanic, and low-income ELL students are less likely to take or pass the required assessments. Even among students who do pass the assessments male, Hispanic, and low-income students are still less likely to be reclassified. We draw upon the notion of tight- and loose-coupling in educational organizations to make sense of this disconnect between ELL reclassification policies and reclassification outcomes in these two districts. We recommend administrators and teachers work together to establish but also implement their district’sobjec language classification policies.

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Author Biographies

Marcela Reyes, University of California, Irvine

Dr. Reyes is a postdoctoral scholar for the Center for Creating Opportunities for Disadvantaged Students. The Center brings together interdisciplinary faculty to improve opportunities for children living in poverty. She investigates the sociological factors (e.g., opportunities to learn, educational policy) that contribute to students’ achievement and college readiness. Her research has been published in Youth and Society, and Learning and Individual Differences.

Thurston Domina, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Thurston Domina is Associate Professor of Educational Policy and Sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His research seeks to better understand the relationship between education and social inequality in the contemporary US, particularly the role organizations play in student transitions from middle and high school into higher education.

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Published

2019-03-25

How to Cite

Reyes, M., & Domina, T. (2019). A mixed-methods study: Districts’ implementation of language classification policies and the implications for male, Hispanic, and low-income middle school students. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27, 30. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.27.4210

Issue

Section

Articles