Full Report - Center for Collaborative Education

B What are the MCAS ELA, Math, and
Science Outcomes of LEP Students
of Different Characteristics?
The pass rates of LEP students in elementary,
middle, and high school grades are examined in the
light of the students’ demographic descriptors. We
examine the relationship between MCAS outcomes
in ELA, Math, and Science and students’ gender,
income status, native language, English proficiency,
mobility, and disability. In this and the following
sections we look at elementary, middle, and high
school students in the aggregate (instead of fourth,
eighth, and tenth graders) in order for group sizes
to be large enough to report on the analyses.
Pass Rates in MCAS ELA, Math, and Science of
Elementary School LEP Students
English proficiency, native language, and disability
proved to be significant variables in the outcomes in
all subjects in the MCAS among elementary school
students. As expected, LEP students at MEPA
performance Levels 4 and 5 achieved high scores,
comparable to those of EP students in both ELA
and Math. Among elementary school LEP students
of different native languages, native speakers of
Chinese languages had the highest pass rates, with
native speakers of Cape Verdean Creole having
the lowest pass rates in ELA and native speakers
of Somali having the lowest pass rates in Math. In
Science, Vietnamese speakers had the highest pass
rates; native speakers of Portuguese and Somali had
the lowest. Across all subjects, the pass rates of LEP
students without disabilities were higher than those
of LEP-SWDs.
In addition, among elementary LEP students, gender
and mobility proved significant in both ELA and
Science pass rates. In ELA girls outscored boys and
the opposite was true in Science. In all subjects,
stable students showed higher pass rates than
students who had changed schools.
Table 37. MCAS ELA, Math, and Science Pass Rates of Elementary School EP and LEP Students. BPS, SY2009
ELA5 Math6 Science7 EP LEP EP LEP EP LEP
All 84.0% 64.9% 76.3% 61.8% 72.0% 45.1%
Male 79.8% 61.6% 74.8% 61.6% 74.0% 50.9%
Female 88.6% 68.9% 77.9% 62.0% 69.9% 37.8%
Low Income1 82.0% 65.0% 73.5% 61.5% 69.0% 45.3%
Not Low Income
Native Language
91.8% 61.8% 86.5% 66.7% 84.0% 40.0%
Spanish 90.0% 61.2% 84.2% 56.7% 77.3% 38.9%
Cape Verdean Creole 86.2% 53.2% 74.2% 53.8% 84.4% 46.3%
Chinese languages 100% 87.6% 100% 89.7% 97.4% 67.3%
Haitian Creole 89.6% 67.3% 83.5% 61.2% 76.7% 44.4%
Portuguese 93.3% 80.0% 86.7% 67.7% 75.0% 31.3% 8
Somali 96.6% 56.7% 90.0% 50.0% 75.0% 31.3% 8
Vietnamese 100% 70.9% 97.3% 82.9% 90.7% 68.4%
Other languages2 English Proficiency Level
97.8% 71.7% 93.4% 66.3% 88.1% 64.8%
MEPA Levels 1 and 2 12.4% 22.4% 13.0% 8
MEPA Level 3 NA 31.2% NA 35.2% NA 20.5%
MEPA Levels 4 and 5
80.6%
75.1%
59.4%
Mobile3 76.4% 54.2% 59.7% 53.3% 68.3% 30.0%
Stable 84.5% 65.4% 77.4% 62.3% 72.3% 46.0%
SWD4 54.6% 42.3% 47.5% 41.6% 49.3% 32.5%
Not SWD 91.9% 73.6% 84.0% 69.4% 78.2% 50.5%
1 Percent eligible for free or reduced price lunch; 2 Does not include English; 3 Mobile is defined as a student who changed schools between
October and June of a given school year; 4 Percent designated as a student with disabilities. Includes only students ages 6+; 5 Includes
grades 4-5. Among LEP students in these grades, the difference in MCAS ELA pass rates was found to be significant in terms of gender
(p=.004, minimal effect size), native language (p=.000, small effect size), English proficiency level (p=.000, large effect size), mobility
(p=.051, minimal effect size), and disability (p=.000, small effect size); 6 Includes grades 3-5. Among LEP students in these grades, the
difference in MCAS Math pass rates was found to be significant in terms of native language (p=.000, small effect size), English proficiency
level (p=.000, medium effect size), and disability (p=.000, small effect size); 7 Includes grade 5 only. Among LEP students in grade 5, the
difference in MCAS Science pass rates was found to be significant in terms of gender (p=.001, small effect size), native language (p=.000,
small effect size), English proficiency level (p=.000, medium effect size), mobility (p=.049, minimal effect size), and disability (p=.000, small
effect size); 8 Represents less than 10 students.
70 Improving Educational Outcomes of English Language Learners in Schools and Programs in Boston Public Schools