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

Houston Education Research Consortium. 6100 Main Street, MS-258, Houston, Texas 77005. Tel: 713-348-2532; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://kinder.rice.edu/centers/houston-education-research-consortium

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Brady Education Foundation
National Science Foundation (NSF), Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

1842494

Immigrants; Academic Achievement; Course Selection (Students); Learner Engagement; Exit Examinations; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; STEM Education; Grade 9; High School Freshmen; Middle School Students; High School Students; Discipline

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.

As Provided

2024

ED640543