Opportunity to Learn, Language Proficiency, and Immigrant Status Effects on Mathematics Achievement

Abstract

Immigrant students, especially those with limited-English proficiency (LEP), perform less well than native-born students do. The authors explored the hypothesis that the LEP and immigrant students are channeled by schools (or self-selected) into less demanding courses, thereby reducing their opportunity to master core subjects in the curriculum. Data were taken from a large urban school district in California to investigate the roles of opportunity to learn (OTL), language proficiency, and immigrant status on 2,443 middle school students' mathematics achievement and growth over 3 years. Using a multilevel growth model, the authors found that reduced OTL leads to performance shortfalls, suggesting promises for the relatively inexpensive approach of directing immigrant and LEP students into more demanding and sequenced curriculum pathways to improve achievement.