Found in Translation? The Effects of Dual Language Immersion Programs

Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs aim to promote bilingualism and boost academic and long-run economic outcomes for English learners (ELs) and non-ELs. This project uses longitudinal student-level data from Texas and the staggered rollout of DLI programs across cohorts to estimate causal impacts on short- and long-run outcomes: test scores, high-school graduation, college enrollment and completion, and adult wages. The analysis evaluates whether DLI programs improve educational trajectories and later labor-market integration for ELs—largely immigrants or children of immigrants—relative to peers in non-DLI settings. Results will inform K–12 policy on language education and its role in promoting both academic achievement and economic mobility.