Published:
April 2024
Authors:
Nicole Mader
Samuel Keillor
Jessica Holter
About the Brief
TERA researchers partnered with four districts in Tennessee to learn more about the schooling experiences of their EL students through a series of data analyses and discussions with district leaders. This brief presents findings across all four districts about the characteristics of EL students, how they perform in school compared to their native English-speaking peers (non-ELs), and the distribution of English as a Second Language (ESL)-endorsed teachers across these districts.
Key Findings
- Across the four districts, the share of EL students born outside of the U.S. has increased, and the majority of EL students speak Spanish at home.
- EL students are less likely to be classified as economically disadvantaged compared to non-EL students in 3 of the 4 districts.
- EL students in the four districts have similar attendance, chronic absenteeism, and suspension rates as non-EL students, but they lag behind in graduation rates and TNReady assessment scores.
- Across the four partner districts, students who test well enough to exit the EL program have lower dropout rates and perform similarly to non-EL students on state assessments.
- Across the four districts, not all EL students are taught by an ESL-endorsed teacher, and schools with the most EL students are not always the schools with the most ESL-endorsed educators.
Suggested Citation
Mader, M., Keillor, S., & Holter, J. (2024). English Learners in Tennessee: A Case Study of Four Districts. Tennessee Education Research Alliance.