Language and Postsecondary Trajectories: How “Ever-English Learner” Status Predicts College Student Pathways and Outcomes

Abstract

Although students who have ever been identified as English learners (ever-ELs) during K-12 comprise a significant and growing share of the population, the transient nature of K-12 EL status and services makes it difficult for researchers to follow ever-ELs throughout their educational pipeline and into college. We use longitudinal state administrative data with repeated measures of EL status to examine the college entrance, college type, and early, intermediate, and long-term college outcomes of ever- and never-EL students who attended public colleges and universities in Texas. Our results offer new insights into the postsecondary trajectories of ever- and never-EL high-school seniors.