Project Activities
The EDC-PPSD partnership expanded during the two-year grant period to include institutions of higher education, foundations, and community organizations located in Rhode Island to serve as members of PERC. Partnership activities included (1) conducting a research agenda setting workshop with central office leadership staff; (2) establishing an Advisory Panel to provide support to research projects conducted as part of the PERC; (3) carrying out an inventory of past and current research projects to determine how these requests are monitored and to understand the types of requests received by the district; (4) developing a spreadsheet to help monitor requests and to ensure alignment of requests to priority content areas identified in the research agenda setting workshop; (5) developing a revised application for both data and research requests in a fillable, PDF format; and (6) holding monthly PI meetings, quarterly Core Planning Group meetings and a District Priority Roundtable.
Structured Abstract
Setting
This project took place in the Providence Public Schools, the largest urban district in Rhode Island.
Sample
PPSD enrolls approximately 3,400 ELL students (14% of overall enrollment), and almost half of the ELLs in Rhode Island attend school in the district.
Providence Public Schools District (PPSD) serves a culturally diverse student population and the largest English language learner (ELL) student population in Rhode Island. An audit of ELL student achievement in PPSD revealed that although the achievement gap between reclassified English language learners and their native-English speaking peers substantially narrowed, the gap between students who had not exited ELL status and non-ELLs widened. Further, the achievement of ELL students on the state assessment in reading and mathematics was extremely low, generally lower than their ELL peers in other districts in the state. Finally, there were ELL students whose parents choose to opt out of ELL programming. These students were considered Eligible but Not Enrolled (ENE) in any ELL programs and represented a growing number of students in the district. The pattern of achievement among this population of ELL students was not well understood. Through this project, PPSD sought to understand patterns of achievement among its ELL student population and the relationship of ELL programs to academic outcomes.
Initial research
The research team used descriptive analyses and propensity score matching.
Key measures
Key measures included English learners' enrollment and classification, mobility, and ACCESS English proficiency.
Data analytic strategy
In this project, researchers catalogued available data elements related to ELL students, including demographic characteristics, English language acquisition, achievement on state and district assessments, ELL program enrollment, and information about when students complete and exit these programs. Information about ENE students were also gathered. Researchers documented data sources and determined the quality of data collected, the rationale for inclusion of each data element, and changes to the data element over time. Descriptive analyses of student and school data from 2010/11 through 2013/14 were carried out to characterize the demographic and programmatic landscape of ELL students and programs. After completing these initial descriptive analyses, the project examined differences in English language proficiency between ELL and ENE students. This was done by estimating propensity scores for the students in the cohort and then using the estimated propensity scores to create a matched sample of ELL and ENE students who were included in a growth curve analysis. After forming a matched sample of students based on propensity scores, the research team compared the English proficiency growth trajectories for ENE and ELL students in the matched sample by fitting a series of hierarchical growth curve models. Data elements included home language, current versus former ELL status, the number and types of ELL programs offered at each PPSD school, and participation and mobility rates for ELLs.
Key outcomes
This section will be updated when key outcomes are published.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Publications:
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigator: Andrade, Marco
Partnership Institutions: Providence Public Schools District (PPSD); Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC)
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
