National Evaluation of Title III Implementation— Report on State and Local Implementation | American Institutes for Research

National Evaluation of Title III Implementation— Report on State and Local Implementation | American Institutes for Research:

National Evaluation of Title III Implementation— Report on State and Local Implementation

AIR Authors:

Courtney Tanenbaum, Andrea Boyle, Kay Soga, Kerstin Carlson Le Floch, Laura Golden, Megan Petroccia, Michele Toplitz, James Taylor, Jennifer O’Day  

• News Release: National Evaluation of Title III Finds Wide Variances in How States and Districts Define and Implement Policies and Programs for English Learners
• File: National Evaluation of Title III Implementation - Report on State and Local Implementation. Appendix G - Data Collection Instruments (PDF)
• File: National Evaluation of Title III Implementation - Report on State and Local Implementation (PDF)

This report, prepared by AIR for the U.S. Department of Education, provides a picture of how states, districts, and schools were implementing Title III provisions that help English Learners (ELs) meet content standards as of the 2009–10 school year. Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides funds to states and districts to support EL students’ successful attainment of English language proficiency and state academic standards.

The report examines three main objectives:

• To describe the progress in implementation of Title III provisions, and variation in implementation across states.
• To examine programs and services that localities have in place to meet the needs of EL students and how these relate to state policies and contexts.
• To maintain a focus, in all project data collection and analysis activities, on the diversity among EL students—for example, in their concentrations, languages, ages, and length of residence in the United States—and the educational implications of this diversity.

The study found that states and school districts vary widely in how they define ELs and how they set thresholds for achieving proficiency in English. As a result, a student identified as an EL in one district might lose that status by moving into another district in the same state. Data was collected through interviews with Title III officials from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, a nationally representative survey of Title III district administrators, and case studies of 12 Title III districts.

Additionally, the report presents findings that address research questions covering the following areas of interest:

• Identification and exit of students into and out of the EL subgroup
• Instructional programming and placement of EL students
• State ELP standards and assessments
• Development and implementation of Title III accountability
• State and district capacity to promote EL language acquisition and achievement

The four-year project funded through the U.S. Education Department’s Policy and Program Studies Service and led by a team of experts from AIR is evaluating Part A of the Title III Program, which provides federal grants to assist states and local governments in addressing the needs of limited English proficient children and immigrant youth. For more information about AIR's work, please contactJames Taylor at AIR or Elizabeth Eisner at the U.S. Education Department, Policy and Program Studies Service.