View in EDS

Effects of Dual-Language Immersion on Attendance and Reclassification in a Large Urban District. EdWorkingPaper No. 26-1491

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Effects of Dual-Language Immersion on Attendance and Reclassification in a Large Urban District. EdWorkingPaper No. 26-1491
Language: English
Authors: Lucrecia Santibañez, Clémence Darriet, Sarah Asson, Francesca López, Claudia Cervantes-Soon, Erica Frankenberg, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Source: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2026.
Availability: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 48
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Spencer Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Descriptors: Immersion Programs, Bilingual Students, English Learners, Urban Schools, Bilingual Education, Second Language Learning, Grade Level Differences, Educational Benefits, Labeling (of Persons)
Geographic Terms: California (Los Angeles)
Abstract: Dual-language immersion (DLI) programs have proliferated across the United States, yet evidence on their effects for English Learner-designated (EL) students in large, diverse urban districts remains limited. This study examines DLI's effects on attendance and reclassification--two outcomes that worsened for ELs following the COVID-19 pandemic. Using restricted student-level data from the Los Angeles Unified School District (2015-2022), we employ doubly-robust estimation to compare DLI and non-DLI students within the same schools. DLI enrollment is associated with substantially higher attendance for all student subgroups, including low-income ELs--an important finding given that attendance is strongly related to student engagement and long-term academic success. For reclassification, while DLI students show modestly lower rates in K-2, these differences disappear by third grade. By the end of elementary school, ELs in DLI reclassify at rates indistinguishable from peers in English-only classrooms, regardless of income status or home language-program language match. These findings directly address a common parental concern--that DLI will delay children's English acquisition--and the evidence suggests otherwise. As California seeks to dramatically expand bilingual education in the state, these results support DLI as an equity-enhancing intervention that benefits students while developing their multilingual assets.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 20260101
Accession Number: ED681934
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Dual-language immersion (DLI) programs have proliferated across the United States, yet evidence on their effects for English Learner-designated (EL) students in large, diverse urban districts remains limited. This study examines DLI's effects on attendance and reclassification--two outcomes that worsened for ELs following the COVID-19 pandemic. Using restricted student-level data from the Los Angeles Unified School District (2015-2022), we employ doubly-robust estimation to compare DLI and non-DLI students within the same schools. DLI enrollment is associated with substantially higher attendance for all student subgroups, including low-income ELs--an important finding given that attendance is strongly related to student engagement and long-term academic success. For reclassification, while DLI students show modestly lower rates in K-2, these differences disappear by third grade. By the end of elementary school, ELs in DLI reclassify at rates indistinguishable from peers in English-only classrooms, regardless of income status or home language-program language match. These findings directly address a common parental concern--that DLI will delay children's English acquisition--and the evidence suggests otherwise. As California seeks to dramatically expand bilingual education in the state, these results support DLI as an equity-enhancing intervention that benefits students while developing their multilingual assets.