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Sunday's Child - Nikolas
Expert: English-Language Learners Do Well on Exams 1/14/13
Associated Press
January 14, 2013
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - An expert says students who need instruction on the English language now make up 28 percent of all Texas public school students in early elementary school grades.
Testifying in the school finance trial Monday was Laura Ayala, recently retired director of English-Language Learner Assessments for the Texas Education Agency.
Ayala said it typically takes students at least four years to master the language and become former English-language learners.
She said that, among elementary and middle school students, former English-language learners score higher on state standardized tests than students who need no English-language instruction.
She said by high school, former English-language learners perform on the exams "equal to or somewhat better" than students who needed no English-language instruction.
But Ayala also said those figures don't track English-language learners who drop out.