The effects of a newcomer program on the academic achievement of English Learners
利用断点回归设计，研究了针对新移民英语学习者的强化英语项目对学业成绩的因果效应，发现小学阶段受益而初中阶段反而有负面影响。
Abstract School districts serving newcomer English Learners (ELs) generally offer short‐term intensive English programs designed to teach foundational language skills and guide students’ integration into the U.S. school system. Despite the growing popularity of newcomer programs, however, there is limited rigorous evidence of their efficacy. In this paper, we present evidence on the causal effect of an intensive English program on the academic achievement of newcomer EL students. Access to the program is determined by a test score cutoff which we leverage to employ a regression discontinuity design. On average, students who are eligible for the program in elementary grades experience a boost in their academic achievement for up to 3 years following initial eligibility. Conversely, newcomer EL students who are marginally eligible for intensive English language instruction in middle school grades see a decline in achievement that tends to exacerbate over time.