This document provides an overview of three REL West reports that examine the academic achievement of English learner students in kindergarten, grade 3, and grade 6 from 2006/07 through 2011/12 in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.

The reports focus specifically on students’ progress in English fluency and in mastering core academic content in English language arts and math.

Key Findings

  • English learner students in lower grades did better than students in higher grades on subject matter tests
  • English learner students who were eligible for special education services generally had the lowest passing rates on all tests
  • English learner students who started the study at lower English language proficiency (ELP) levels generally had lower passing rates on all tests than students at the higher ELP levels
  • English learner students who were eligible for the school lunch program scored lower on all tests than their peers who were not eligible
  • Male English learner students had lower passing rates than their female peers on the English language proficiency and English language arts tests, but scored about the same — mostly slightly higher and sometimes slightly lower — on the math test

Download the full reports for Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.