Child Development & Well-Being

Tags: Latino ELL Students;

Target Population: All

Research Questions the Report Poses:

• What is the state of well-being among Latino children?
• What trends exist within this population subset and how do they affect equal opportunity and supports at a national, state, regional, and local level?

Findings:

• The conditions and situations of Latino children vary state-by-state, regionally, and generationally.
• Despite a hardworking population, the majority of Latino children live in poor and low-income families, and in high poverty neighborhoods which are more isolated from more affluent communities
• Most Latino children are U.S citizens yet many live in immigrant families resulting in barriers to services and potential separation of parents from children.
• Latino children are disadvantaged in the educational system (e.g., only 55% graduate with a high school diploma)

Policy Recommendations:

• There needs to be more research into the regional and other variations among the Latino population
• There is a need for clear targeted policies on health, education, juvenile justice, and poverty reduction.
• Need to use a holistic approach to assessing the present and future well-being of Latino children.

• Read The Full Report

Foxen, P., & Mather, M. (2010). America's Future: Latino Child Well-Being in Numbers and Trends. Washington, DC: National Council of La Raza.

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Intervention; Language Proficiency; Motivation; Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA; Reading;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What strategies or programs can educators adopt to create schools in which ELLs learn and thrive?

Findings:
A comprehensive system of schooling for ELLS includes the following nine elements:

• High quality and accessible preschool education
• Supports for newcomers to meet needs of transition
• A comprehensive program of English Language development
• A program providing full access to challenging curriculum
• High quality instruction and materials
• Inclusive and affirming school climate
• Valid, comprehensive, and useful assessments
• Strong family and community partnerships
• Schools structured to meet the particular needs of English learners.

Policy Recommendations:

• Invest in building a qualified educator workforce;
• Build a meaningful accountability system for English learners;
• Assure that educators have the materials they need to deliver high quality English Language Development;
• Demonstrate new models of successful schools for English learners

• Read the full report (128KB PDF)*

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:

University of California

Linguistic Minority Research Institute

4722 South Hall

Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3220

Olsen, L. (2006). Ensuring Academic Success for English Learners. University of California: Linguistic Minority Research Institute.

Tags: Latino ELL Students; Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA; Transfer of Literacy Skills;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary School

Research Questions the Report Poses: How do the structures of Latino families influence Latino children’s cognitive development?

Findings:
In short, Latino children are teaching researchers much about the situated dynamics of child development—especially the mechanisms through which particular norms, forms of participation, and requisite cognitive demands are pressed in multiple contexts. Much work remains to understand how Latino parents deploy heritage and novel practices to advance child development, and how their activities and practices differentially shape cognitive and social– emotional vitality. We are just beginning to learn how the multiple contexts of children and adolescents vary across Latino subgroups and how they rival or reinforce the family’s influence. Ideally, researchers could capture the processes occurring inside the home—providing children with beneficial cognitive tools and engaging solidarity—and then observe how children carry these into other settings, like schools and peer groups. Some institutions, especially schools, often fail to recognize the social assets with which Latino children arrive, from respect for adults and vibrant social skills to serving their family by getting ahead in school.

• Read the Full Report

Fuller, B., & Coll, C.G. (2010). Learning From Latinos: Contexts, Families, and Child Development in Motion. American Psychological Association. Retrieved January 14, 2011 from http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/dev-46-3-559.pdf

Tags: Intervention; Language Proficiency;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School, Post-Secondary

Research Questions the Report Poses:

1. What are the demographic characteristics and academic performance outcomes of language minority and English learner students in California public schools?
2. What conceptual framework is appropriate for analyzing the resource needs of linguistic minority students?
3. What resources are needed to provide an adequate education for California English learners?
4. How have past studies estimated the cost of these resource needs?
5. What approach do the authors recommend for estimating the cost of educating English learners and linguistic minority students in California?

Findings:

• Socioeconomic differences do not account for all differences in the needs of all ELL students
• Gaps in poverty are harder to close than gaps in language
• Resources that would help ELL students achieve English and academic proficiency include:
  1. Primary language materials (student's home language)
  2. Assessments in the primary language; and
  3. teachers and staff who speak the languages of the students

Policy Recommendations:

• A sufficient number of teachers who have specific knowledge about the structure of language, know how to use assessments to measure language proficiency, and are bilingual;
• Extra support personnel;
• Appropriate instructional materials;
• Valid and comprehensive assessments;
• Effective school organization that provides EL students with a safe, controlled space in which to use English;
• Effective school leadership; and
• Appropriate district and state support.

• Read the Full Report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
n/a

Gandara, P. & Rumberger, R. W. (2007, March). Resource needs for California's English learners. Stanford, CA: University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute.