Quasi-experimental study reveals extra instructional time boosts course loads and graduation rates for English learners, indicating meaningful academic benefits despite minimal test score gains.
Students classified as English learners (ELs) are entitled to both English development and equitable access to academic content, but providing both within the school day can be challenging. One strategy is to offer EL-classified students additional instructional time through longer school days, fuller schedules, or summer school. Using statewide Oregon data and descriptive and quasi-experimental methods, this study examined the provision of extra instructional time and its effects. We found that roughly one in five EL-classified students received extra time, which substantially increased the likelihood of their enrolling in a full course load and graduating with a regular diploma. However, extra instruction had only minimal effects on standardized test achievement, highlighting the promise and limitations of this strategy for supporting EL-classified students.
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Umansky et al. (2026) studied this question.
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