Published Online in:
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
October 9, 2024

Sy Doan, RAND
Samuel Enrique Morales, RAND
Umut Ozek, RAND
Heather Schwartz, RAND

The number of English learners enrolled in public schools has grown substantially in the United States over the past two decades. The growth is especially large in states in the South and Midwest that have not been traditional destinations for recent immigrants. In this study, we examine the effects of new English learners on students in receiving schools in Delaware, which is one of the so-called “new destination” states. We find significant positive spillover effects in the short term of new English learners on the test scores of the other students in the receiving schools. The positive effects are mainly concentrated among current and former English learners.

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Read the press release: "Study: Rise in English Learner Students in 'New Destination' States Helps, Does Not Hurt, Academic Outcomes for Existing Students"

Study citation: Doan, S., Morales, S. E., Ozek, U., & Schwartz, H. (2024). Educational spillover effects of new English learners in a new destination state. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. Prepublished October 9, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737241282412