Page 1 GAO-24-106360 Academic Outcomes for English Learners
English learners are a diverse and growing group of students. Between fall 2010
and 2020, English learners in U.S. K-12 public schools grew from 4.5 million to
5.0 million students. Most English learners are born in the United States. They
speak more than 400 languages and represent a wide range of cultures, grade
levels, experiences, and backgrounds. School districts are required to take
affirmative steps to ensure students with limited English proficiency can
meaningfully participate in the district’s educational programs and services. In
addition, states are required to assess the English language proficiency of
English learners on a yearly basis.
We were asked to examine academic achievement of English learners. For this
report, we examined the characteristics associated with English learners’
academic achievement, their progress toward English proficiency, and growth in
their reading scores over time. We conducted multivariate regressions using
three federal Department of Education data sets to explore the relationship
between several academic performance outcomes and a variety of student,
teacher, and school characteristics. Regressions are a statistical method that
explore whether a relationship exists between two or more variables (e.g.,
poverty and reading scores), while accounting for other characteristics that may
affect the scores.
Our regression analyses found that various student, teacher, and school
characteristics are associated with the academic performance of students who
are English learners:
• Student characteristics: Being female, having positive feelings about school,
and being Asian were associated with higher reading scores. In contrast,
feeling disconnected from school, frequent absences, having a disability, and
being economically disadvantaged were associated with lower reading
scores.
• Teacher characteristics: For some student groups, having a teacher of the
same race was associated with higher scores in math or reading.
Overcrowded classrooms and high levels of teacher absences were
significantly associated with lower reading and math scores and less
progress toward English proficiency.
• School characteristics: Characteristics such as school size and
socioeconomic composition were associated with English learners’ academic
performance and progress toward English proficiency. Over time, schools
with higher percentages of students enrolled in dual language immersion
English instruction were associated with slightly higher rates of growth in
reading scores.
U.S. Government Accountability Office
-12 Education: Student, Teacher, and School
Characteristics Associated with English
Learners’ Academic Performance
-24-106360
Report to Congressional Requesters
ly 25, 2024
