Abstract
This study of test data, reclassification, and exit rates of LEP students was part of a larger study, commissioned by the California Legislature, to compare the effectiveness of a range of language assistance programs in educating the state's growing limited English proficient student population. This study sought to answer the questions, what is the relative rate of academic progress and second language acquisition across program models and which model is most successful in exiting LEP students into the English language mainstream? On the basis of data collected in exemplary schools in California, the researchers conclude that in asking about exit rates, policymakers are essentially asking the wrong question, and in asking about students’ academic progress and English language acquisition by program type, they are asking a question that even the “best” schools are ill-equipped to answer. Recommendations are offered for collecting data that would be more meaningful for teachers as well as researchers.
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