MOVING STORIES: Educational Pathways of Immigrant Youth

CAROLA SUÁREZ-OROZCO, Ph.D.

MARCELO SUÁREZ-OROZCO, Ph.D.Co-Directors Immigration Studies @ NYU NYU Steinhardt School of Educationwww.nyu.education/immigration/

Immigration Studies @ NYU

Immigrant Youth

Fastest growing child population~ Currently 1 in 5~ Projected 1 in 3 by 2040

Highly diverse~ National origins~ Race & color~ Religion~ Languages~ Ethnicity~ Socio-economic

Immigration Studies @ NYU

ADAPTATION PATTERNS

Three Pathways~ Some Outperform Native Born~ Some Overlap with Native Born ~ Some Achieve Below Native Born

Epidemiological Paradox~ Physical Health~ Mental Health ~ Engaging in risk behaviors~ Academic performance

Immigration Studies @ NYU

Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study

Longitudinal interdisciplinary, & comparative Documenting continuities and discontinuities in immigrant

youth’s educational attitudes and adaptations over time Youth originated in Central America, China, the

Dominican Republic, Haiti, & Mexico Ages 9 & 14 at beginning of study Recruited from 51 schools in 7 school districts in the

Boston & San Francisco areas [Ethnographic observations occur in 20 schools]

Thirty graduate level bicultural and multi-lingual research assistants

Funded to date by the National Science Foundation, the W.T. Grant Foundation and The Spencer Foundation.

Immigration Studies @ NYU

Research Questions How does academic performance change over

time for newcomer immigrant youth?

What are the pathways of immigrant student performance?

What are the factors that best account for performance?

What is the role of cognitive, relational, and behavioral engagement in academic performance?

Immigration Studies @ NYU

GPA Trend for Total Sample [N =309]

2.86 2.89

2.642.51

2.37

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

GPA_Y1 GPA_Y2 GPA_Y3 GPA_Y4 GPA_Y5

Total

Linear (Total)

Immigration Studies @ NYU

GPA Trends: Comparisons by Gender

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

Male Female

Male 2.74 2.75 2.59 2.33 2.08

Female 2.95 2.98 2.86 2.64 2.59

GPA_Y1 GPA_Y2 GPA_Y3 GPA_Y4 GPA_Y5

Immigration Studies @ NYU

GPA TRENDS: Comparisons by Country of Origin

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

China 2.96 3.15 3.03 3.08 2.89

DR 2.94 2.97 2.48 2.25 2.19

Cen Am 2.95 2.86 2.63 2.32 2.35

Haiti 2.65 2.65 2.63 2.28 2.11

Mexico 2.76 2.73 2.82 2.51 2.31

GPA Yr 1 GPA Yr 2 GPA Yr 3 GPA Yr 4 GPA Yr 5

Immigration Studies @ NYU

Academic Performance Pathways[based on Nagin Cluster Analysis of sample size of 284]

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

Low [14.4%] 2.08 1.99 1.58 1.41 1.45

Improving [10.9%] 2.32 2.27 2.34 2.64 3.06

Precipitous Decline [26.8 %]

2.91 2.89 2.55 2.01 1.68

SlowDecline [24.3%]

2.96 3.02 3.02 2.73 2.47

High [23.6 %] 3.47 3.63 3.61 3.50 3.46

Year 1 Mean

Year 2 Mean

Year 3 Mean

Year 4 Mean

Year 5 Mean

Immigration Studies @ NYU

GPA

Relational

Engagement

Behavioral Engagement

Cognitive Engagement

Family Structure

School Problems & Violence

Academic Self- Efficacy

Mother’s Education

Age at Arrival

Emotional Wellbeing

Gender

Attitudes Towar ds School

English Proficiency

Immigration Studies @ NYU

Facilitating Immigrant Student Achievement Recognize protracted nature of academic English language

acquisition Build on strengths while recognizing transient English language

limitations Scaffold on all available linguistic and cultural resources Mediate learning in a variety of ways Maintain high but realistic expectations

Foster supportive relationships in school & in after-school contexts Provide emotional & tangible supports Between all partners

~teachers and students

~teachers and parents ~inter-student

Recognize diversity not just as a challenge but also as a resource for learning

Embrace immigrant children’s hopes and harness their energies