Our nation's nearly five million English learner-classified (EL) students, comprisingnearly 10 percent of the US K-12 student population, face significant educational disparities resulting from inadequate attention to their needs within current policies and practices, placing them at a distinct educational disadvantage compared to their non-EL peers. While a large body of research highlights inequities ELs face in their schools and classrooms, less has focused on the ways broader education policies exacerbate or ameliorate educational inequities for ELs. Research in this area can offer thoughtful analysis to policymakers and education leaders as they work to expand equity for this growing and diversifying subgroup of students.This three-paper dissertation explores the role of state policy in shaping ELs’ educationalopportunities in Michigan. Michigan offers a useful context for study as it is a new immigrant diaspora state with a fast-growing EL population, similar to many other US states. The first paper employs a difference-in-regression discontinuities design to assess the impact of shifting reclassification responsibility from school districts to the state, highlighting the ability of default policies to standardize EL reclassification processes. The second paper leverages interview data with school district leaders to better understand how school districts interpret and implement state funding policy to provide EL services. The findings highlight areas in which policy can better support districts to provide effective, high-quality English language development services. The third paper couples administrative and interview data to document changes in recent immigrant, or “newcomer,” student populations, and explores school districts’ responses to such
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