The purpose of the NYU Steinhardt education policy working paper series is to promote the education policy research done by faculty, postdocs, doctoral students, and researchers associated with NYU Steinhardt. The series is open to submission for Steinhardt affiliated people at this time and is intended to be inclusive of all kinds of education policy work done in departments, centers, and labs.
Leveling the playing field: Default policy and its effects on English learner reclassification rates
Authors: Caroline Bartlett, Joseph R. Cimpian, Madeline Mavrogordato
Posted on: October 2025
Abstract: Reclassification, the process by which English learner (EL) students exit EL classification, often determines access to mainstream academic coursework. While existing research finds that many students who demonstrate English proficiency do not reclassify, few studies evaluate policies that effectively reclassify eligible students. We examine the impact of shifting reclassification responsibility from school districts to the state in Michigan. Using a difference-in-regression discontinuities design, we find that state-level responsibility increases reclassification rates by 35 percentage points for students just above the threshold of reclassification eligibility. Effects are larger for Spanish speakers, suggesting automatic procedures may reduce linguistic bias in the reclassification process. Our findings contribute to the literature on default policies in K-12 education and policies that promote equitable EL education.
Number: NYUEP-WP-2025-05
Authors: Sorana Acris, Alejandro J. Ganimian, Elisabeth King,Kate Marple-Cantrell
Posted on: September 2025
Abstract: We present experimental evidence on a civic education program in Liberia's public primary schools across 140 schools serving grades 3 and 4. The program provided new civic textbooks, teacher training, bi-weekly instruction, and regular classroom monitoring. After one school year, treatment students scored 0.31SDs higher on civic knowledge assessments. Gains were concentrated in factual knowledge (0.40 SDs) and were particularly pronounced among lower-performing and rural students. However, it had no impact on students' civic engagement. Classroom observation data reveal that instruction was heavily textbook-centered, in contrast to the participatory models common in high-income countries.
Number: NYUEP-WP-2025-04
Authors: Shana DeVlieger, Seth Badu, Fabienne Doucet
Posted on: September 2025
Abstract: This study explores the challenges of advancing national-level policy change in early childhood education (ECE) when organizations like the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) maintain a non-partisan stance in public discourse. Using critical discourse analysis and content analysis, we examine NAEYC’s online discourse around the 2024 U.S. presidential election. We contextualize these findings with NAEYC’s responses to the 2016 and 2020 elections and evaluate them against the principles they endorse in their foundational document, Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education (2019). Our analysis reveals significant tensions between NAEYC’s stated commitment to equity-driven political engagement in Advancing Equity and the constraints of strategic neutrality, especially during high-stakes elections. Despite identifying systemic inequities and advocating for transformative policy change in their foundational document, NAEYC’s election-period social media messaging was comparatively withdrawn. It did not challenge widely-publicized falsehoods about issues affecting young children and educators. These findings highlight the broader challenges of non-profit advocacy in a polarized political landscape. We conclude with implications for ECE advocacy, uplifting a critical stance on 501(c)(3) political neutrality restrictions, and emphasizing the need for organizations and members to collectively mobilize and advocate in ways that do not inadvertently stifle or dilute the pursuit of equity and justice in ECE.
Number: NYUEP-WP-2025-03
Authors: Michael J. Kieffer, C. Patrick Proctor, Andrew Weaver, Sasha Karbachinskiy, Qihan Chen, Qun Yu, Gabriella Solano, Aaron Coleman, Shaelyn Cavanaugh, Xiaoying Wu, Elise Cappella, Rebecca Silverman
Posted on: April 2025
Abstract: In this preregistered within-teacher randomized controlled trial (n = 84), we tested the effects of grouping English learners (ELs) in homogeneous groups (all ELs) versus heterogeneous groups (ELs and non-ELs) on language, reading comprehension, and argumentative writing. Findings indicated no significant main effects of grouping. However, moderation analyses indicated that heterogeneous groups benefited students with higher English language skills (Hedges’ g = 0.27-0.59 or 0.75-1.93 grade equivalents), while homogeneous groups benefited students with lower English skills (g = 0.31-.58 or 1.00-1.55 grade equivalents). Instructional observations indicated that teachers provided more specialized strategies for ELs in homogeneous groups and more authentic questions for students in heterogeneous groups. Findings question the default use of homogeneous grouping and support considering English proficiency when making instructional and policy decisions for EL instruction.
Number: NYUEP-WP-2025-02
Authors: Kristin E. Black, Ben Le, Ramy Abbady, Lindsay Romano, Coleen D. Carlson, Jeremy Miciak, David J. Francis, Michael J. Kieffer
Posted on: April 2025
Abstract: Course-level concentration of English learners (ELs), or the clustering of ELs into courses away from non-ELs, is an underexamined component of curricular tracking at the secondary level. Using data from three ninth grade cohorts (2013-2015) in the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), as well as data from the American Community Survey and National Student Clearinghouse, this study examines the relationship between course concentration of high school ELs—as measured by the percent of ELs in content courses—and four key outcomes: four- and six-year high school graduation, and immediate and extended enrollment in college. Guided by an ecological framework, we distinguished between schools’ general tendency to concentrate ELs into separate courses and the individual students’ experiences of relative concentration within their schools. We estimated the role of both components of course concentration in two different types of high schools: comprehensive schools and newcomer-serving schools. We found that both components had significant negative associations with high school graduation and college enrollment, though with some notable differences by subgroup and school type. Our findings challenge the common practice of grouping ELs together for instruction but also point to important variations in how course concentration might differentially shape attainment outcomes in different high school contexts.
Number: NYUEP-WP-2025-01