Colorin Colorado: Helping children read... and succeed!
  • weta logo
A bilingual site for families and educators of English language learners
Home > ELL Research & Reports > Statewide ELL Studies
  • small text
  • medium text
  • large text
  • print

Statewide ELL Studies

These reports focus on ELL trends and legislation within the following states:

The reports also include research from the following U.S. terriorities:

We welcome submissions of additional reports from these or other states.

For more information about statewide ELL policies and related organizations, take a look at our interactive ELL resources map.

State High School Exit Exams: States Try Harder, But Gaps Persist

Author: Center on Education Policy (CEP), Patricia Sullivan

Summary: A growing number of states now use or plan to implement exit exams which students must pass in order to graduate. Achievement gaps on these exams remain largely unchanged according to a study by the Washington, D.C.–based Center on Education Policy (CEP). Due to a heavy concentration of Latino students in states with exit exams, a disproportionate number of minority students (82%) and English Language Learners (87%) will be taking them. The pass rate of ELL students continues to fall 30 to 40 points below the pass rate of other students. With the dramatic growth in English Language Learners in the U.S., it is increasingly important to identify strategies that will help these young people master the skills required for high school graduation. This report first discusses exit exams broadly: their characteristics, methods of assessment, standards, compliance with NCLB, etc. Later, it delves specifically into the conditions surrounding English Language Learners and exams, such as testing policies, graduation rates, and remediation.

Show research findings and policy recommendations

Tags: Comprehension; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency;

Target Population: High School

Research Questions the Report Poses:

  • How are high school exit exams affecting districts, teachers, and students?
  • How fair is it for states to require ELLs to pass an exit exam in order to graduate?
  • What are the most effective strategies to help ELLs succeed on these exams?
  • How are states accommodating ELLs on the exit exams?

Findings:

  • Innovative programs and policies are beginning to spring up in states with exit exams.
  • Over the past year, states have developed more supports for students and committed more funds to help students pass exit exams.
  • Initial pass rates and achievement gaps have proved to be stubborn to move, especially in states where exit exams have been in place for several years.
  • States are improving their ability to track and report on student–level data, which should help in the future to clear up some nagging questions about the impacts of exit exams on dropouts and achievement.
  • Resolving fundamental questions about the fairness of exit exams and appropriateness of supports for English language learners is crucial if this reform is to succeed in helping all students.
  • Rather than developing waivers or exemptions from exit exam requirements specifically for English language learners, states are choosing to require ELLs to pass exit exams, albeit with test accommodations.
  • Evidence from New York and California indicates that former ELLs–students who become proficient in English and exit ELL status–are more likely to pass exit exams and are more likely to graduate than students as a whole.

Policy Recommendations:

  • New strategies, which are mostly in the research stage, could increase the validity of exit exam scores for ELLs.
  • New support policies and funding are necessary to improve achievement for these students and can lead to positive outcomes for ELLs.

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
n/a

Sullivan, P., Yeager, M., Chudowsky, N., Kober, N., O'Brien, E., Gayler, K. (2005). State high school exit exams: States try harder, but gaps persist. Center on Education Policy: Washington, DC. Retrieved from: http://alaskateacher.org/downloads/exit_exam_8_12_05.pdf