Browsing by Author "Cashiola, Lizzy"

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    Increases in Long-Term English Learners (LTELs) in Texas
    (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2021) Cashiola, Lizzy; Potter, Daniel
    The number of English learners (ELs) who do not reclassify as English proficient in the first five years of schooling has increased across the state of Texas. ELs are a diverse population of students with varying levels of English proficiency. Many students who begin school as an EL reclassify as English proficient in a timely manner and go on to achieve academic success. Students who remain EL after five years in school are considered “long-term English learners” (LTELs). Research has shown that LTEL status corresponds with negative academic outcomes, such as lower test scores, higher risk of drop out, and lower on-time high school graduation rates. Between the 2000-01 and 2014-15 school years, the percent of first graders who began school as ELs has increased slightly. In contrast, the percent of ELs who go on to become LTELs during this same time frame has increased by almost 90 percent. Similar trends were found in many urban and non-urban areas throughout the state. The increased proportion of EL students becoming LTEL threatens to undermine the educational success of EL students in Texas. This brief highlights the increasing percent of ELs becoming LTEL in the last two decades, and points to a set of mechanisms that may serve to explain this increase.
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    Long-Term English Learners (LTELs): Predictors, Patterns, & Outcomes. Brief 1: Defining LTEL
    (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2020) Cashiola, Lizzy; Potter, Daniel
    This is the first in a series of briefs the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) will release on long-term English learners (LTELs). The full study will examine LTELs in Texas, with particular focus on 10 Houston-area public school districts. Currently, there is no formal definition of LTEL in Texas. The purpose of this brief was to compare three common definitions of LTEL (remaining an English learner for more than three years, more than five years, and more than seven years) using seven criteria based on its research and practitioner application to identify the most useful definition. The definition of LTEL as remaining EL after five years satisfied the most criteria. Using this definition of LTEL, HERC will move forward with this study by examining characteristics of LTELs and the schools that serve them, overall patterns of reclassification for ELs and LTELs, and the educational outcomes of LTELs.
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    Public Pre-K Enrollment and Participation in the Houston Region
    (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Thrash, Courtney; Varghese, Lebena; Cashiola, Lizzy
    This series of briefs looks at enrollment and attendance patterns in public pre-K in the Houston region before, during, and after the passage of HB3 and the COVID-19 pandemic. It also looks at the benefits of pre-K participation.
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    What Factors Are Associated with the Likelihood of an English Learner Becoming a Long-Term English Learner?
    (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2022) Cashiola, Lizzy; Cigarroa Kennedy, Camila; Ma, Hao; Nguyen, Dylan; Potter, Daniel
    The number of long-term English learners (LTELs) in Texas has increased by 90% in the last decade. LTELs are students who have not reclassified as English-proficient after five years in school. This research brief examines student-, campus-, and neighborhood- characteristics that can be considered risk or protective factors for the likelihood of an English learner (EL) becoming LTEL, with the goal of helping school districts identify which students may be at-risk of becoming LTEL. The report utilizes data from 10 public school districts in the Houston area and builds on several of its previous studies examining English learners and LTELs. Key findings include: Risk and Protective Factors The strongest risk factors for becoming LTEL included grade retention and special education status at any point during elementary school. The strongest protective factor against becoming LTEL was entering first grade with higher English comprehension. EL Program Type Participating in two or more EL programs was associated with an increased risk of becoming LTEL, regardless of program type. For students who remained in one program during elementary school, students who participated in either a dual-immersion or a bilingual program had a lower likelihood of becoming LTEL than ELs who participated in an ESL program. EL program type mattered differently for students in lower and higher economically disadvantaged campuses.