@EdWorkingPaper{ai21-420,
title = "Resource for Self-Determination or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Examining the Impact of English Learner Classification among Alaska Native Students",
author = "Ilana Umansky, Manuel Vazquez Cano, Lorna Porter",
institution = "Annenberg Institute at Brown University",
number = "420",
year = "2021",
month = "June",
URL = "http://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai21-420",
abstract = {Federal law defines eligibility for English learner (EL) classification differently for Indigenous students compared to non-Indigenous students. Indigenous students, unlike non-Indigenous students, are not required to have a non-English home or primary language. A critical question, therefore, is how EL classification impacts Indigenous studentsŐ educational outcomes. This study explores this question for Alaska Native students, drawing on data from five Alaska school districts. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find evidence that among students who score near the EL classification threshold in kindergarten, EL classification has a large negative impact on Alaska Native studentsŐ academic outcomes, especially in the 3rd and 4th grades. Negative impacts are not found for non-Alaska Native students in the same districts.},
}