The Effect of Attending Las Americas Middle School on Early High School Outcomes

Related Content
Author
Author
Lee, J. S., Kennedy, C. C., Holzman, B., & Chin, A.
Institutional Author
Houston Education Research Consortium, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University
Details
Resource Type
Brief
Acquisition Number
500
Published Date
04-17-2024 2:47 PM
Published Year
2024
Number of Pages
16
Language(s)
Subscription Only
No
Abstract

This brief evaluates the causal effect of attending Las Americas Middle School on newcomer students’ early high school outcomes. Using administrative data from the Houston Independent School District (HISD) spanning the 2007–2008 through 2018–2019 school years, the study examined the academic performance, course-taking patterns, and school engagement of newcomer students who did and did not attend Las Americas. Attending Las Americas increased newcomer students’ English end-of-course (EOC) exam scores and decreased students’ likelihood of receiving disciplinary actions. Newcomer students who attended Las Americas fared similarly to their newcomer peers at other middle schools on all other outcomes. The brief concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the analysis, as well as potential implications for policy and practice.

Topics
English Learners
Newcomer Programs
Newcomer Students
Secondary Education
Keywords
english learners
Newcomers