ERIC Number: EJ1408862
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 31
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3737
EISSN: EISSN-1935-1062
Resource for Self-Determination or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Effects of English Learner Classification among Alaska Native Students
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, v46 n1 p3-33 2024
Federal law defines eligibility for English learner (EL) classification differently for Indigenous students compared with non-Indigenous students. To be EL-eligible, non-Indigenous students are required to have a non-English primary language. Indigenous students, by contrast, can be English-dominant or English monolingual. A critical question, therefore, is how EL classification impacts Indigenous students' educational outcomes. This study explores this question for Alaska Native students, drawing on data from five Alaska school districts. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find preliminary evidence that among students who score near the EL classification threshold in kindergarten, EL classification has a large negative impact on Alaska Native students' academic outcomes in the third and fourth grades. Negative impacts are not found for non-Alaska Native students.
Descriptors: English Language Learners, Classification, Indigenous Populations, Alaska Natives, Educational Policy, Language Maintenance, American Indian Languages, Standard Spoken Usage, Kindergarten, Elementary School Students, Bilingual Education, Language Proficiency, Academic Achievement, Attendance, Disability Identification
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2993
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Alaska
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A