The effects of open enrollment, curriculum alignment, and data- driven instruction on the test performance of English Language Learners (ELLs) and Re-designated Fluent English Proficient students (RFEPs) at Shangri-La High School

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of open enrollment, curriculum alignment, and data-driven instruction on the test performance of English Language Learners (ELLs) and Re-designated Fluent English Proficient students (RFEPs) at Shangri-la High School. Participants of this study consisted of the student population enrolled in English classes from grades 9 to 11 in an urban high school with total student enrollment of 2,445 in school year 2011-2012, of which 697 were ELLs. A retrospective control group design was used to analyze the data collected before and after the intervention period. The measurement tools utilized were the test performance of the students in the English Language Arts portion of the California Standardized tests (CST) and the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). The findings from this study indicate that the intervention had a significant positive effect on the CST ELA scores of the ELLs versus the RFEP students. However, the intervention did not have a significant effect on the CAHSEE ELA scores of the ELLs versus the RFEP students. Moreover, there was no interaction between the language placement and the intervention for either the CST or CAHSEE.