The Detrimental Effects of Exit Exams on Graduation Rates for English Language Learners

By Jessica Gallegos

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English Language Learners (ELL) make up 10.3% percent of public school students in the U.S, with around 5 million students. As a population that has faced numerous challenges, especially most recently during the pandemic, they continue to struggle with limited resources and access to proper educational programs. In particular, the manner in which students are tested at the end of high school has become an obstacle to graduation and thus the pursuit of higher education.

To provide some background, although this may vary by state and even by school district, English Language Learners are given this classification based on the assessment of their English proficiency. This may occur through the use of testing or take home surveys. Federal regulations give funding to schools to enable them to provide instruction specifically for ELL students. School districts are able to request this funding based on the number of attending ELL students each year.

The number of years that students may spend classified as an ELL varies greatly. Even though a majority of students are U.S. citizens, a small percentage are foreign-born, changing the time at which they may enter the program. However, students are usually enrolled as ELL students from the very beginning of their education. Yearly assessments are then given to monitor student progress and if a certain level of progression is achieved, students may then become reclassified. With this new classification, students no longer have to obtain the additional instruction and can proceed to regular English classes.

Some students may remain classified as an ELL throughout their K-12 years, which can impact their ability to graduate in certain states. For example, in Louisiana, all students, including ELL students, are required to pass a standardized test in order to graduate. The exam is provided in English, which can be difficult for ELL students, even if they are performing well in their classes. In 2019, Louisiana’s graduation rate for ELL students was only 41%, compared to an 80% graduation rate amongst the rest of the students. According to the Office of English Language Acquisition, Louisiana had the second-lowest graduation rate nationally for ELL students for the 2017-2018 school year. However, when the standardized exam requirement was removed for graduation for two years during the pandemic, there was a 7% increase.

Many have called for the use of standardized exit exams to be removed as a requirement for high school graduation. In addition to influencing high school graduation, states that require exit exams have been associated with an increase in high school drop-out rates, with a particular effect on ELL students, students of color, and other students in marginalized populations. It has been noted that the challenge of language proficiency can make it difficult to simultaneously develop proficiency in other subjects.

The development of alternative ways to obtain and demonstrate mastery of skills, as have been created in California and Texas, has been proposed as a key way to increase the graduation rates for ELL students. Advocates for such programs believe that these programs will remove barriers to graduation and help improve dropout rate, enabling students to continue in their academic pursuits.