Full Report - Center for Collaborative Education

Table 32. Annual High School Dropout Rates of LEP students in ELL programs by English Proficiency Level.
BPS, SY2009.
LEP
LEP MEPA Test Takers
1
Level 12 Level 23 Level 34 Level 45 Rate of English Proficient
Annual High School Dropout Rates
7.0%
All 6.6% 9.2% 7.4% 5.3% 2.9%
LEPs Not in an ELL Program 8.7% 12.2% 6 13.0% 6 9.7% 4.3%
LEPs In ELL Program7 5.9% 9.0% 6.4% 3.5% 2.3%
SEI 6.5% 10.4% 7.1% 3.8% 2.6%
Other bilingual (TBE and SIFE) 1.2% 2 3.0% 2 0% 0% 0%
Note:. 1 The differences in the high school dropout rates between the following groups of LEP students were significant: in and not in
programs (p=.006, minimal effect size); SEI and other bilingual programs (p=.001, minimal effect size); SEI and not in program (p=.038,
minimal effect size); and other bilingual program and not in program (p=.000, small effect size). 2 The differences in the high school dropout
rates between the following groups of LEP students scoring at MEPA Level 1 were significant: SEI and other bilingual program (p=.021,
small effect size) and other bilingual program and not in program (p=.047, small effect size). 3 The differences in the high school dropout
rates between LEP students scoring at MEPA Level 2 in different programs were not significant. 4 Differences in the high school dropout
rates between the following groups of LEP students scoring at MEPA Level 3 were significant: in and not in programs (p=.000, small effect
size); SEI and not in program (p=.000, small effect size); and other bilingual and not in program (p=.034, small effect size). 5 Differences in
the high school dropout rates of LEP students scoring at MEPA Level 4 were not significant when comparing by ELL program type. 6
Represents less than 10 students. 7 Not all ELL programs appear here because (a) there are no Two-Way programs in high schools and
(b) this analysis is based on SIMS data which does not disaggregate SEI programs or other bilingual programs.
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IN DEPTH:
A Brief Look at LEP Dropouts and MCAS
Participation in a high-stakes testing regime, especially where graduation depends on testing
outcomes, is often mentioned as a precipitant of dropout behavior among students in reaction
to fear of the tests or to having failed them. We explore this question by conducting a
small retrospective cohort study of twelfth grade LEP students who dropped out in SY2009
and observing their Grade 10 MCAS testing outcomes in the three years that preceded the
dropout behavior (i.e., tests taken at any point between Grades 10 and 12, as is possible
under the MCAS system). All were BPS students for the whole study period.
Forty-nine LEP twelfth graders dropped out in SY2009. Of these dropouts:
• 10.2% (5 students) dropped out in twelfth grade having never taken neither the tenth
grade MCAS ELA nor the tenth grade MCAS Math exams between SY2006-SY2009.
• 22.4% (11) passed both the Grade 10 MCAS ELA and Grade 10MCAS Math exams at
some point during the period SY2006-SY2009.
• 63.2% (31) failed one or both tenth grade MCAS ELA and Math exams.
+ 22.4% (11) of the dropouts dropped out having failed both the Grade 10 MCAS ELA
and Grade 10 MCAS Math exams.
+ 10.2% (5) dropped out having failed one Grade 10 MCAS exam and having never
taken the other Grade 10 MCAS exam.
+ 30.6% (15) dropped out having taken both exams but only having passed one of
them (5 passed ELA, 10 passed Math).
This indicates that a much higher percentage of LEP dropouts in SY2009 had failed one or
both MCAS tests required for graduation.
60 Improving Educational Outcomes of English Language Learners in Schools and Programs in Boston Public Schools