Immigrant Education (PreK-12)

Reading and Language Outcomes of a Five-Year Randomized Evaluation of Transitional Bilingual Education,
Johns Hopkins University and the Success for All Foundation, January, 2010, 21 pp.
This study followed a group of LEP immigrant school children over a five-year period in an effort to determine whether English immersion or bilingual education produced stronger educational outcomes. No significant differences could be found, leading the researchers to conclude "that what matters most...is the quality of instruction, not the language of instruction. Schools may choose to teach English language learners in either their native language or in English for many reasons, including cultural, economic, or political rationales. Yet the claims that this choice is crucial for ultimate learning of English or Spanish reading are not supported by the data from this experiment."

Garden State Dreams: In-State Tuition for Undocumented Kids,
New Jersey Policy Perspective, January, 2010, 12 pp.
This policy brief argues for the passage of in-state tuition legislation in New Jersey, citing its economic and social benefits to the state. Such legislation would encourage Latino students, already suffering from high drop-out rates, to stay in high school and graduate. It would also ease the burden on undocumented families, among the lowest income earners in the state, trying to cover the escalating cost of public college tuition in New Jersey, now the second highest in the nation, and do it without access to state financial assistance. The legislation would also encourage high-ranking students to continue their education in New Jersey, rather than seeking admission and scholarship assistance from private colleges in other states. Finally, the author sees benefits for all New Jersey residents from students achieving their potential, getting good jobs, paying taxes, and spending money to stimulate the economy.

In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students and the DREAM Act,
Voices for Utah Children, October, 2009, 19 pp.
A multi-issue child advocacy organization, Voices for Utah Children produced this report with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The report provides an informative account of the history and political dynamics of in-tuition legislation in the State of Utah - legislation which has withstood numerous attempts at repeal since first passed in 2002. The report summarizes the arguments on both sides of the issue, discusses pending court challenges to similar legislation in California and Kansas, and urges passage of the federal DREAM Act to settle the issue once and for all.

Language and Education: The Missing Link,
Save the Children and the CfBT Education Trust, 2009, 62 pp.
Focusing on children in low and middle income countries, this report highlights the significance of instructional language in educational outcomes. Despite the “clear agreement” among educators and linguistic experts that teaching in the mother tongue or first language of children provides a stronger foundation for educational success, there are 2.4 billion people around the world who speak languages that are seldom used in the classroom. Children from rural areas are particularly disadvantaged by this omission. The authors contend that such practices lead to high drop-out rates and fuel social unrest, particularly in countries with high levels of linguistic diversity and ethnic conflict. The authors suggest “at least six years of mother tongue education (in the primary grades), with the gradual introduction of other languages from an early stage.” The report faults donor agencies, particularly in the U.S. and U.K, for not devoting sufficient attention to this issue, and praises countries like the Philippines for their commitment to the use of mother tongues in the classroom.

Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation,
National Women's Law Center & Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, August, 2009, 43 pp.
Noting that Latinas are dropping out of school in alarming numbers, the authors of this report bring the voice of Latina students to the educational policy debate. Based on a non-random survey sample of 335 Latina high school students, of whom 90 were foreign-born, enrolled in ten schools and centers around the country, and follow-up, in-person interviews and focus group sessions with 47 of these students, the report explores the barriers that limit educational attainment and life chances for Latina girls. The report concludes with a range of recommendations for Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, states, local communities, school administrators and teachers to address these problems.

Children of Immigrants: National and State Characteristics,
The Urban Institute, August, 2009, 18 pp
Based on data from the 2005 and 2006 American Community Survey, this research brief examines the growing number of immigrant children in the nation's schools. Nationally, the number doubled from 8 million in 1990 to 16.4 million in 2007 -- representing 23% of all children from age 0 to 17. Seventy-three percent (73%) of all these children lived in the "big six" states of California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey. The authors opine that "children of immigrants deserve special attention because they face many universal risk factors to children's well-being, such as lower parental education and family incomes" as well as "factors unique to immigration, such as lack of parental citizenship and English proficiency." A companion web tool enables user to obtain more detailed data about individual states.

Legal Issues for School Districts Related to the Education of Undocumented Children,
National Education Association and National School Boards Association, 2009, 30 pp.
This publication addresses 13 questions that school districts face related to the education of undocumented children, including such issues as enrollment policy (when parents live outside the district), student participation in extracurricular activities, student access to specialized services, school custodial responsibilities after ICE workplace raids, and policies surrounding B-2 (Tourist) visa holders. The publication has been sent to every school district in the country and has been endorsed by 16 national professional education associations.

Fulfilling the Promise of Preschool for All: Insights into Issues Affecting Access for Selected Immigrant Groups in Chicago,
The Urban Institute, 2009, 37 pp
In July 2006, Illinois passed the landmark Preschool for All (PFA) program, designed to ensure access for all 3- and 4-year-old children to 2 ½ hours of free, quality early childhood education. As the program is voluntary in nature, special efforts have been made to enroll the most vulnerable children, including children of immigrant parents. This study focuses on two communities of lower incidence (less numerous) immigrant families in Chicago: Nigerian and Pakistani. The authors draw a number of conclusions from their work, including the importance of considering the specific needs and concerns of particular immigrant communities in outreach efforts, rather than assuming that all immigrants are alike.

Quality Benchmark for Cultural Competence Project,
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), June, 2009, 25 pp.
Through extensive discussion with stakeholders and experts in the early childhood field, and with support from A. L. Mailman Family Foundation, NAEYC produced this tool to assess the level of cultural competence within early childhood programs participating in quality rating and improvement systems being implemented in 19 states. NAEYC proposes seven key approaches for consideration by the field, including "...build(ing) upon the home languages and dialects of the children, families and staff in programs and support the preservation of home languages." The report includes a matrix that explicates each approach, gives ideas for implementation, and suggests possible measurements.

Quality Rating Improvement Systems for a Multi-Ethnic Society,
Issue Brief, Early Childhood Funders Collaborative (Build Initiative), 2009, 12 pp.
Noting that we should "measure what we treasure," this brief calls attention to the importance of culture, language, and anti-bias education in early chidlhood programs. Reviewing the Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS) currently in operation in16 states, the authors find scant attention to cultural and linguistic factors in these accountability systems. The brief defines five elements of program quality related to language and culture: multiculturalism, gender, language development, family involvement, and anti-bias, and asserts that these components are integral to overall program quality.

Young Dual Language Learners, A Key Topic Resource List,
Child Care and Early Education Research Connections, June, 2009, 12 pp.
This list contains one-sentence summaries of, and links to, reports, papers, briefs, summaries, and reviews of research pertaining to the education of young dual language learners. Among questions covered in the research are: the developmental benefits or drawbacks of children learning two languages, the academic outcomes of children participating in bilingual education programs compared to those in monolingual English immersion programs, the home language and literacy practices of non-English-speaking families, and effective strategies for engaging immigrant families in supporting their children's education.

Partnering with Parents and Families to Support Immigrant and Refugee Children at School,
Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, The George Washington University, June, 2009, 15 pp.
This issue brief discusses the "Caring Across Communities" initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a project that is spurring the development of 15 model school-based programs across the United States designed to address the "unique emotional and behavioral health issues" of immigrant and refugee children from low-income families. Supported with grants totaling $4.5 million, all programs are experimenting with innovative ways of reaching out to immigrant families and communities, on the assumption that healthy families, fully engaged in the educational process, are crucial to the emotional health and education success of immigrant children.

Immigrant Families, English Language Learners, and the Future of Educational Reform,
Recorded Panel Discussion, The Urban Institute, May 21, 2009, 2 hours
In this discussion, a panel of six experts assessed the progress that American schools have made in educating immigrant children. The low graduation rate of English language learners was a particular area of concern. Among issues covered by the panelists were: the influence of neighborhood poverty on student achievement, problems with current assessment procedures, the challenge of disseminating effective strategies used by high performing schools, and the formulation of new policy approaches in the context of the ongoing congressional debate over the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Young Lives on Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students,
College Board, April, 2009, 27 pp.
Noting that 15% of the undocumented population in the United States is comprised of children, many of whom have spent most of their formative years and received most of their schooling in the United States, the College Board bemoans the waste of human potential involved in denying them opportunities to move on to higher education, drive, vote, and work in the United States. The Board urges passage of the bipartisan "Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act" (The Dream Act) to enable qualified young people who graduate from high school and who have lived in the U.S. since childhood to acquire legal status if they go to college or join the military. The report sees no adverse impact on native-born students in the ten states that permit undocumented students to attend college at in-state tuition rates.

English Learners in Boston Public Schools: Enrollment, Engagement and Academic Outcomes, AY2003-AY2006,
The Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy, University of Massachusetts, Boston, April, 2009, 126 pp.
This report examines the impact of the English Only movement in Massachusetts. After approval of a referendum by Massachusetts voters in 2002, sheltered English immersion (SEI) programs -- not to exceed one year in length -- became the default strategy for transitioning limited English proficient (LEP) students into the academic mainstream. Transitional bilingual education (TBE) programs were discontinued, unless at least 20 parents requested waivers and received approvals from local school districts. This report examines the experience of the Boston school district and its English language learners during the post-referendum period. In the beginning, Boston shifted 45.2% of its LEP students into mainstream classes. The district also adopted a "discouraging approach to parental waivers," thereby reducing the availability of other educational options, including TBE. As a result, drop-out rates increased, and the number of LEP students in special education classes more than doubled. The report contains many recommendations for systemic improvements in Boston's education of English language learners.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Recommendations for Addressing the Needs of English Language Learners, Center for Applied Linguistics, March 20, 2009, 23 pp.
Prepared by a national work group of 14 experts familiar with research findings and best practices in the education of immigrant children, this report describes how the stimulus act can be utilized to improve schooling for English language learners. Noting that these students "represent a large proportion of students at risk of underachievement," the authors make over 50 recommendations designed to take advantage of the short-term duration of this funding. Many are focused on building infrastructure and a stronger evidence base for future educational reform, including modifications to the No Child Left Behind Act.
http://www.stanford.edu/~hakuta/ARRA/ELL%20Stimulus%20Recommendations.pdf

Dual Language Learners in the Early Years: Getting Ready to Succeed in School, National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, November, 2008, 45 pp.
Dual language learners are defined as "children from 3 to 6 years of age who are learning a second languagae while still acquiring their first." Looking at general indicators of readiness for school, this report finds that dual language learners are at special risk for falling behind their monolingual peers. Reviewing relevant research, the report outlines ways to better prepare these children for school, to conduct appropriate assessment and to design effective instructional strategies.
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/resabout/ecell/earlyyears.pdf

Teaching English Language Learners: What the Research Does -- and Does Not -- Say, American Educator, Summer, 2008, 19 pp.
One in nine students in the US is an English language learner. What's the best way to help these students become fluent in English and master the academic content? Existing research cannot fully answer that question, but it can offer teachers some guidelines. Focusing on two recent reviews of that research, Claude Goldenberg, Professor of Education at Stanford University, highlights the most promising instructional approaches and discusses important questions that the research has yet to answer.
http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/issues/summer08/goldenberg.pdf

Challenging Common Myths About Young English language Learners, Foundation for Child Development, January, 2008, 11 pp.
Produced by the Foundation's New American Children initiative, this report challenges six myths often associated with the education of young immigrant children, including the supposed advantages of total English immersion as an educational strategy and the assumption that Latino parents undervalue the importance of pre-kindergarten education.
http://www.fcd-us.org/usr_doc/MythsOfTeachingELLsEspinosa.pdf

Immigrant Integration Educator Resource Guide, The Colorado Trust and the Colorado Department of Education, 2008, 48 pp.
This guide provides an overview of the key areas that influence immigrant integration in schools - from school enrollment, culture and classroom instruction to family and community outreach. The guide contains links to useful resources in each of the main topical areas. Although state-specific to Colorado, the Guide is noteworthy for its use of immigrant integration as a frame for analyzing the immigrant school experience.
http://www.thecoloradotrust.org/repository/publications/pdfs/SIRFI/IIERG_final.2-08.optimized.pdf

New Jersey Immigrant Kids Count 2007: A Profile of Child Well-Being, Association for Children of New Jersey, 2007, 25 pp.
This report provides an array of informative data about the circumstances of children in immigrant families with helpful comparisons to non-immigrant children both in New Jersey and nationally.
http://www.acnj.org/admin.asp?uri=2081&action=15&di=1151&ext=pdf&view=yes

Education Rights of Immigrant Students and Families, New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, 2007, 11 pp.
Intended for dissemination to immigrant parents in foreign language, this booklet provides a summary of key legal and constitutional rights of immigrant students under both federal and state law. Produced in collaboration with the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, the booklet is used as a tool in parent training workshops.
http://www.usdiversitydynamics.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/
educationrightsbooklet011508.pdf

New Jersey's Special Review Assessment: Loophole or Lifeline? A Policy Brief, The Graduate Center, CUNY, Education Law Center, Institute on Law and Education Policy (Rutgers University), Project Grad, August, 2007, 68 pp.
Students for whom English is not their first language often struggle to pass standardized tests, especially high stakes high school graduation exams. Many states provide alternative assessments to prove the mastery of core skills. New Jersey's proposal to discontinue its "special review assessment," on grounds that it represented "institutionalized low expectations" prompted the issuance of this multi-agency report, one of whose recommendation is that New Jersey "continue to offer multiple assessment routes to graduation."
http://www.edlawcenter.org/ELCPublic/elcnews_080822_SRAPolicyBrief.pdf

Paying the Price: The Impact of Immigration Raids on America's Children, A Report by The Urban Institute for the National Council of La Raza, 2007, 99 pp.
This study examines the impact of workplace immigration raids on 500 children in three communities: Greeley, Colorado; Grand Island, Nebraska; and New Bedford, Massachusetts. The disruption of family life, loss of family income, and resulting dislocation create emotional turmoil in the lives of these children, most of whom are U.S. citizens. As the pace of immigrant enforcement is likely to intensify in future years, the report gives policy recommendations to Congress, ICE, schools, social service and public agencies.
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411566_immigration_raids.pdf

Double the Work: Challenges and Solutions to Acquiring Language and Academic Literacy for Adolescent English Language Learners, Report to Carnegie Corporation of New York, 2007, 83 pp.
Middle and high schools are seeing expanding enrollments of students whose primary language is not English. These students must perform "double the work" of native English speakers, i.e. learning English while mastering core academic content areas. This report recommends an array of best practices and strategies for surmounting the major educational challenges faced by limited English proficient students.
http://www.all4ed.org/publications/DoubleWork/index.html

The Challenges to Multiculturalism in Massachusetts, The Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Public Policy and Community Development, University of Massachusetts, 2006, 10 pp
An anti-bilingual education referendum was approved by the voters of Massachusetts in November of 2002. The referendum read, in part, "The current state law providing for transitional bilingual education in public schools will be replaced with a law requiring that, with limited exceptions, all public school children must be taught English by being taught all subjects in English and being placed in English language classrooms." This report analyzes the tactics of referendum sponsors, media coverage, and - through the use of focus groups -- the thinking of voters on this important issue. (Abstract reposted through agreement with the Immigrant Learning Center and the Immigration Research and Information web site)
http://www.gaston.umb.edu/articles/Challenges_Multi_Ma.pdf

Developing Literacy in Second-Langauge Learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth, SRI International and the Center for Applied Linguistics, 2006, 15 pp (Executive Summary only)
This report summarized the findings of a four-year, $1.8 million dollar study funded by the fedederal Department of Education "to identify, assess, and synthesize research on the education of language-minority children and youth with regard to literacy attainment and to produce a comprehensive report on this literature." One of the key findings was that students instructed in native language as well as in English attain higher rates of English reading proficiency. The finding held true at both the elementary and high school levels. Because of the controversial nature of this finding, the Bush Administration declined to publish the study.
http://www.cal.org/projects/archive/nlpreports/Executive_Summary.pdf

American Institutes for Research, Effects of the Implementation
of Proposition 227 on the Education of English Learners, K-12: Findings from a Five-year Evaluation, January 24, 2006, 228 pp.
This state-mandated, five-year study of California's Proposition 227 found no conclusive evidence that one instructional model for educating English learners, such as full English immersion or a bilingual approach, is more effective for English learners than another. The factors identified as most critical to their success were: staff capacity to address English learners' linguistic and academic needs; school wide focus on English language development and standards-based instruction; shared priorities and expectations in educating English learners and systematic, ongoing assessment and careful data use to guide instruction.
http://www.air.org/news/documents/227Report.pdf

A Look at Immigrant Youth: Prospects and Promising Practices, National Conference of State Legislatures, Children's Policy Initiative, March, 2005, 18 pp.
This report analyzes the barriers facing immigrant youth, resources available from the federal government to address those barriers, and requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act for LEP students. Among the promising practices reviewed in the report are newcomer programs, after school programs, and parental involvement approaches.
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/forum/CPIimmigrantyouth.htm

Denied at the Door: Language Barriers Block Immigrant Parents from School Involvement, Advocates for Children of New York and the New York Immigration Coalition, February 19, 2004, 55 pp.
Based on a survey of immigrant parents and students in the New York City School System, this report documents widespread failure to communicate in native language with immigrant parents. Without parental involvement in the education process, students will be deprived of parental support and schools will not have the full cooperation of parents.
http://www.advocatesforchildren.org/pubs/LAreport2-18-04.doc

Integrating Students of Limited English Proficiency into Standards-Based Reform in the Abbott Districts, Education Law Center, 2004, 59 pp.
This resource guide helps school administrators and teachers understand the special problems and challenges facing students of limited English proficiency attending school in New Jersey's 30 Abbott districts. The guide summarizes effective instructional practices and gives examples of successful schools.
http://www.edlawcenter.org/ELCPublic/Publications/PDF/AIRG_EnglishProficiency.pdf