Using Existing Data to Predict Reading Achievement among English Language Learners in the United States

This study investigates the utility of existing measures of Oral Reading Fluency (ORF), reading retell, and language proficiency for predicting reading achievement among Spanish speaking English language learners in the United States. Consistent with previous findings, ORF predicts a large proportion of the variance in reading achievement. Additionally, retell and language proficiency are significant predictors above and beyond ORF. These findings support the potential utility of using existing measures for monitoring the reading progress of students who are second language learners within a district. Implications for policymakers are discussed.