English Language Learners and Academic Achievement: Revisiting the Threshold Hypothesis

• Published in: Language learning Vol. 62; no. 3; pp. 769 - 812
• Main Authors: Ardasheva, Yuliya, Tretter, Thomas R., Kinny, Marti
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.09.2012; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; achievement gap; bilingualism; Education. Teaching; Effect Size; ELL reclassification/redesignation; ELLs' academic achievement; English (Second Language); English as a second language; Foreign language learning; hierarchical linear modeling; Institutional Characteristics; Language Fluency; Language Proficiency; Linguistic Theory; Linguistics; Mathematics Achievement; Middle School Students; Native Speakers; Prediction; Production and comprehension processes; Psycholinguistics; Psychology of language; Reading Achievement; redesignated fluent English proficient students; Second Language Learning; Statistical Analysis; Student Characteristics; threshold hypothesis; Language proficiency; ELLs' academic achievement; academic achievement; Mathematics; hierarchical linear modeling; threshold hypothesis; Teaching; English; Reading; ELL reclassification/redesignation; achievement gap; Adolescent; Bilingualism; language proficiency; redesignated fluent English proficient students
• ISSN: 0023-8333; 1467-9922
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9922.2011.00652.x

This nonexperimental study explored the predictive strength of English proficiency levels on academic achievement of middle school students in a sample of 17,470 native English‐speaking (NES) students, 558 English language learners (current ELLs), and 500 redesignated fluent English proficient students (former ELLs). Results of multilevel analyses indicated that after controlling for relevant student‐ and school‐level characteristics, former ELLs significantly outperformed current ELL and NES students in reading (effect sizes: 1.07 and 0.52) and mathematics (effect sizes: 0.86 and 0.42). The results support Cummins's (1979, 2000) lower level threshold hypothesis predicting that upon reaching adequate proficiency in the language of schooling and testing, ELLs would no longer experience academic disadvantages. Refinements for the theory and directions for future research are discussed.