Alaska Native Students as English Learner Students: Examining Patterns of Identification, Classification, Service Provision, and Reclassification

In Alaska, Indigenous students make up a large segment of the English learner (EL) population. This report examined Alaska Native kindergarten students who are classified as ELs; the data are from school year 2011-12 through school year 2018-19. Roughly a quarter of all Alaska Native kindergarten students were ELs. These ELs spoke 24 different home languages and came from homes with varied educational and demographic characteristics. However, there were some similarities among the Alaska Native ELs. When compared with non-Native Alaska EL kindergartners, the Alaska Native EL students were more likely to have lower English proficiency rates, live in rural areas, and have lower family incomes. The report also discusses how policies on EL identification, classification, service provision, and reclassification are suited for the Alaska Native EL population.