Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
Drop-Out Prevention for ELLs
Every Child Every Promise: Turning Failure Into Action
Author: America's Promise Alliance
Summary: Instead of focusing on statistics that suggest the symptoms of a larger problem, this report sheds new light on root causes. Every Child, Every Promise: Turning Failure Into Action reveals how our nation is dangerously under–equipping the majority of our children and youth for the future, especially those who are disadvantaged. It probes the causes of this failure—what lies behind the troubling statistics. This report is the first that attempts to measure comprehensively the presence in the lives of our young people of the five key resources—the "Five Promises"—that correlate with success in both youth and adulthood: (1) Caring adults; (2) Safe places and constructive use of time; (3) Healthy start and healthy development; (4) Effective education for marketable skills and lifelong learning; and (5) Opportunities to make a difference through helping others.
Tags: Intervention; Motivation; Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA; Rights, Students;
Target Population: All
Research Questions the Report Poses:
- In what ways and to what extent are today's children underserved by parents and adults in general?
- What are the essential resources children require that will assure their success in the future?
- How can parents and communities work to provide these resources to all children?
Findings:
- Children who enjoy the sustained and cumulative benefit of having at least four of the Five Promises across various contexts of their lives are much more likely to be academically successful, civically engaged and socially competent, regardless of their race or family income.
- Having enough of the Five Promises helps to mitigate the disparities among our nation's young people, for instance those based on race/ ethnicity or family income. Though access to these resources remains deeply unequal in America, their presence in critical mass can be a great equalizer. Regardless of race, gender or family income level, children who enjoy at least four of these five core resources are more likely to thrive.
- Only 31% of young people today are receiving enough of the developmental resources that will give them genuine reason for confidence about their success as adults.
- 21% —or over 10 million 6–to–17–year&ndash'olds— have a very low chance of success.
- The stereotype of children and teens as slackers with a weak work ethic is a myth. Young people are looking for more help from adults, but not a handout. They are willing to work hard to reach their goals.
- The greatest returns to society result from a balanced investment strategy throughout childhood, not just in early childhood. The biggest economic benefits result from targeting interventions toward underserved youth. These returns take the form of increased high school graduation rates and college enrollment, reduced involvement with the criminal justice system and reduced welfare dependency, which in turn provide direct and indirect economic benefits to our nation.
- Some of the areas that access to the 5 Promises positively effects are: overall health, grade and school attendance, drug use, social competence, school dropout rates, crime.
Policy Recommendations:
- The bottom–line implication from this research is clear: For maximum return, start investing in young people at an early age—and don't stop.
- Consider the "Whole Child" ie educational reforms should go beyond the school.
- Engage all sectors of society.
- View investments as more than programs—without minimizing their role: Cost–effective, targeted programs may offer the best strategy for mitigating the risk factors otherwise working against children placed at major disadvantages.
- Focus attention on the young people who are most underserved.
"Every Child Every Promise: Turning Failure Into Action." Washington, DC: America's Promise Alliance. Retrieved from http://www.americaspromise.org/Resources/Research-and-Reports/~/media/Files/About/ECEP%20-%20Full%20Report.aspx
Higher Education and Children in Immigrant Families
Author: Sandy Baum Stella M. Flores. The Future of Children. Princeton University. Brookings Institute.
Summary: The increasing role that immigrants and their children are playing in American society, Sandy Baum and Stella Flores argue, makes it essential that as many young newcomers as possible enroll and succeed in postsecondary education. Immigrant youths' access to postsecondary education varies depending on country or origin, race, parental socioeconomic status, lack of college preparation, and potential barriers. The sharp rise in demand for skilled labor over the past few decades has made it more urgent than ever to provide access to postsecondary education for all. Removing barriers to education and to employment opportunities for undocumented students poses political, not conceptual, problems. Providing adequate funding for postsecondary education through low tuition and grant aid is also straightforward, if not easy to accomplish. Assuring that Mexican immigrants and others who grow up in low-income communities have the opportunity to prepare themselves academically for college is more challenging. Policies to improve the elementary and secondary school experiences of all children are key to improving the postsecondary success of all.
Tags: Intervention; Latino ELL Students; Motivation; Rights, Students;
Target Population: Post-Secondary
Research Questions the Report Poses:
- How does the educational attainment vary among subgroups of immigrants?
- What factors account for these differences?
- What barriers do some immigrant students face? What is the payoff to postsecondary education in U.S. society?
Findings:
- Mexican and Latin American immigrants have, on average, relatively low rates of participation and success in postsecondary education.
- Language barriers and lack of familiarity with U.S. social institutions create difficulties, but it is not immigrant status per se that explains the unsatisfactory outcomes for these immigrant populations.
- Overall, immigrants and their children are actually more likely than natives (of the same countries of origin) to earn college degrees.
- The gaps among groups from different countries of origin are large. Those from China, Japan, and many African countries have high success rates. Those from Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti, Laos, and Cambodia fare less well.
- The children of immigrants who benefited from postsecondary education in their countries of origin are likely to succeed in the United States. The children of parents who are not in a position to help them prepare for and navigate the postsecondary system are likely to struggle.
Policy Recommendations:
- Because immigration has become such a divisive political issue in the United States, focusing on the benefits to society of opening doors to higher education for all is the most promising strategy.
- Sometimes, changes in motivation and behavior resulting from financial incentives, rather than the extra funds themselves, can be central to improved postsecondary success. Judith Scott–Clayton, for example, found that West Virginia's state grant program increases college completion rates by establishing clear academic goals and providing incentives to meet them.
- Policies to improve the elementary and secondary school experiences of all children are likely the most important components of a strategy to improve the postsecondary success of immigrant children.
Baum, S., Flores, S.M. (2011.) "Higher Education and Children in Immigrant Families." Immigrant Children 21 (1). The Future of Children. Retrieved from: http://www.futureofchildren.org/futureofchildren/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=74&articleid=545.
Hispanics, High School Dropouts and the GED
Author: Fry, R. Pew Hispanic Center.
Summary: The report analyzes the data of Latinos related to drop-out rates and attainment of a GED. It summaries and examines the current statistics. Then it compares this data to the annual earnings and employment status of the respondents.
Tags: Intervention; Latino ELL Students;
Target Population: High School, Post-secondary
Research Questions the Report Poses: What are the current statistics for Latinos, high school dropouts and the GED?
Findings:
- As of 2008, Hispanic adults with a GED had a higher unemployment rate than Hispanic adults with a high school diploma - 9% versus 7%.
- However, Hispanic full-time, full-year workers with a GED had about the same mean annual earnings ($33,504) as Hispanics full-time, full-year workers with a high school diploma ($32,972).
Fry, R. (2010). Hispanics, High School Dropouts and the GED. Pew Hispanic Center. Retrieved January 7, 2011 from: http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/122.pdf
Immigrants in Community Colleges
Author: Robert T. Teranishi Carola Suarez–Orozco Marcelo Suarez–Orozco. The Future of Children. Princeton University. Brookings Institute.
Summary: To attend to the growing needs of a growing immigrant population, community colleges offer one particularly important venue for educating and engaging that population. Because they are conveniently located, cost much less than four–year colleges, feature open admissions, and accommodate students who work or have family responsibilities, community colleges are well suited to meet the educational needs of immigrants who want to obtain an affordable postsecondary education, learn English–language skills, and prepare for the labor market. The authors explore how community colleges can serve immigrant students more effectively. Already, more immigrant students attend community colleges than any other type of postsecondary institution. But community colleges could attract even more immigrant students through various types of outreach programs. Although there are many good ideas for interventions that can boost enrollment and improve the performance of immigrant students in community colleges, rigorous research on effective programs is scant and needs to be enhanced in order to inform policy makers and community colleges on increasing the educational achievement of immigrant students.
Tags: Intervention; Language Proficiency;
Target Population: Post-secondary
Research Questions the Report Poses:
- What are the opportunities and challenges that immigrant children present to community colleges?
- What strategies can community colleges use to serve the rapidly growing population of immigrants more effectively?
Findings:
- Immigrant students experience different challenges based on when they arrived in the country and consequently how academically prepared they are (either in their home country or U.S.)
- College participation varies greatly among immigrant students based on ethnic background.
- For all high school graduates, immigrants were more likely than native–born students of the same racial or ethnic group to enroll in any form of postsecondary education.
- Immigrant college students are at higher risk of dropping out of college than native–born students. Some of the risk factors for dropping out are: enrolling at age 24 and up, having dependents, working part– or full–time, and familial obligations.
- Many immigrant students are not well prepared academically for college coursework, so they frequently need remedial education, often as a result of deficient English proficiency, before they can enroll in college–level courses.
- One of the greatest needs of immigrant students is to improve their English–language skills.
- Many immigrant students have great financial need but often lack information about how to finance college costs, and consequently they underuse financial aid resources.
Policy Recommendations:
- Outreach programs to assists students and families with academic and financial planning, help students complete college applications, and conduct college visits and educational field trips.
- Accelerated "pathways to college" programs that combine high–intensity instruction with curricular and precollege efforts aim to improve academic preparation for immigrant students during high school while strengthening their postsecondary aspirations and expectations.
- Aside from legislation and federal aid, community colleges themselves can assist students: by conducting fundraising campaigns for scholarships, and by providing services such as transportation and child care.
- Reform is needed so that federal and state aid can cover tuition for English as a Second Language (ESL) courses and remediation. The use of Pell grants to finance ESL instruction should be broadened.
- Within community colleges themselves, high-intensity language programs can extend students' learning outside the classroom by using different curricula to meet the needs of various types of immigrant students (ie seeking immediate job marketability vs. planning for eventual transfer to academic courses.
- Community colleges should also take action to hire more ESL faculty and to improve their preparation for teaching English to immigrant students.
- Community colleges should provide counseling, orientation, and academic planning tailored to the needs of immigrant students.
Teranishi, R.T., Suarez–Orozco, C., Suarez–Orozco, M. (2011) "Immigrants in Community Colleges." Immigrant Children 21 (1). The Future of Children. Retrieved from: http://www.futureofchildren.org/futureofchildren/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=74&articleid=544.
Improving Literacy Outcomes for English Language Learners in High School: Considerations for States and Districts in Developing a Coherent Policy Framework
Author: National High School Center, Nanette Koelsch
Summary: This overview from the National High School Center examines the roles of states and school districts in supporting English Language Learners. Among the key findings: ELL students who access accelerated and enriching academics, rather than remediation, succeed at higher levels. In addition, Latino ELL students are overrepresented in special education. In order to build the capacity of teachers to appropriately identify which ELL students would benefit from special education services and which would benefit from more inclusive strategies, states must be explicit about what is expected of professional development and teacher preparedness.
Tags: Comprehension; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Language Proficiency; Latino ELL Students; Placement; Writing;
Target Population: Middle, High School, Post-Secondary
Research Questions the Report Poses: What issues should states consider to improve schooling for English language learners?
Findings:
- ELLs need high quality instruction focused on advanced literacy skills and not just on language acquisition; and
- Immersion-only programs lead to increased special education placements
- Latino ELLs are overrepresented in special education and lower tracked classrooms;
Policy Recommendations:
- States and districts need to redesign literacy work for ELLs in high schools to change from remediation to academic enrichment; and
- States and districts need to ensure that ELLs participate in rigorous, college preparation courses and receive support so that they can succeed in these courses
To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
n/a
Koelsch, N. (2006). Improving literacy outcomes for English language learners in high school: Considerations for states and districts in developing a coherent policy Framework. National High School Center .
Making Summer Count: How Summer Programs Can Boost Children's Learning
Author: McCombs, J.S., Augustine, C.H., Schwartz, H.L., Bodilly, S.J., McInnis, B., Lichter, D.S. and Cross, A.B. RAND Corporation
Summary: Despite long–term and ongoing efforts to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and advantaged students, low–income students continue to perform at considerably lower levels than their higher–income peers in reading and mathematics. Research has shown that students' skills and knowledge often deteriorate during the summer months, with low–income students facing the largest losses. Instruction during the summer has the potential to stop these losses and propel students toward higher achievement. A review of the literature on summer learning loss and summer learning programs, coupled with data from ongoing programs offered by districts and private providers across the United States, demonstrates the potential of summer programs to improve achievement as well as the challenges in creating and maintaining such programs. School districts and summer programming providers can benefit from the existing research and lessons learned by other programs in terms of developing strategies to maximize program effectiveness and quality, student participation, and strategic partnerships and funding. Recommendations for providers and policymakers address ways to mitigate barriers by capitalizing on a range of funding sources, engaging in long–term planning to ensure adequate attendance and hiring, and demonstrating positive student outcomes.
Tags: Curriculum; Intervention;
Target Population: All
Research Questions the Report Poses:
- What is the nature of summer learning loss?
- Are summer learning programs effective in improving student achievement?
- What are the elements of effective summer programs?
- How much do summer learning programs cost?
- What are the facilitators and challenges to implementing summer programs?
Findings:
- Summer learning loss, which is disproportionate and cumulative, contributes substantially to the achievement gap.
- Students who attend summer programs have better outcomes than similar peers who do not attend these programs.
- Strategies for maximizing quality, enrollment, and attendance to achieving benefits.
- Cost is the main barrier to implementing summer learning programs.
- Districts question the cost–effectiveness of summer learning programs, and many have discontinued them in response to budget cuts.
- Partnerships can strengthen summer learning programs.
- Developing and sustaining district-based voluntary summer learning programs is challenging but feasible.
Policy Recommendations:
- Invest in highly qualified staff and early planning.
- Embed promising practices into summer learning programs (such as smaller class sizes, involving parents, individualized instruction, maximizing attendance, aligning school and summer curricula, etc)
- Consider partnerships when developing summer learning programs.
- Think creatively about funding.
- Extend the research base: (study multiple outcomes beyond academic performance, cost-effectiveness, how to attract consecutive attendees, etc)
- Support consistent funding sources for summer learning programs.
- Provide clear guidance regarding the use of scarce funds.
To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
To order RAND documents or to obtain additional information, contact
Distribution Services: Telephone: (310) 451.7002;
Fax: (310) 451.6915; Email: order@rand.org
McCombs, J.S., Augustine, C.H., Schwartz, H.L., Bodilly, S.J., McInnis, B., Lichter, D.S. and Cross, A.B. (2011) Making Summer Count: How Summer Programs Can Boost Children's Learning. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1120.
Middle-to-High School Transition for English Language Learners: Promising School-Based Practices
Author: Lara, J., & Harford, S.; Smaller Learning Communities Program
Summary: This paper examines the nexus among three current areas of concern for secondary educators and policymakers: restructuring high schools into small learning communities (SLCs); supporting the transition of students into the ninth grade; and instructing English language learners (ELLs). Research in these three separate areas has become increasingly abundant and relevant as national educational policy focus has shifted toward high school improvement. ELLs are enrolled in large numbers in urban schools, which have lately been the recipients of high school reform initiatives. Yet, despite the abundant presence of ELLs in these schools, little information is available on how the distinctive linguistic, academic, and social needs of ELLs have been considered in high school reform policies and programmatic initiatives.
Tags: Intervention; Language Proficiency; Motivation; Placement; Struggling Readers;
Target Population: Middle, High School
Research Questions the Report Poses:
- What is the best middle to high school transitions for ELLs?
- What happens to the ELL moving from eighth to ninth grade in a SLC?
- How are his or her unique educational needs considered?
- Is the instructional program designed to seamlessly integrate English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) instruction with the SLC or ninth?grade transitional programs?
- Is the student required to choose between accessing linguistically appropriate instruction and accessing the benefits of a career or technical academy?
- Does the student's de facto status as an ELL preclude him or her from taking part in programs and courses within the SLC schools?
Findings:
- In order to ensure that ELL students catch up with their peers, the school must place emphasis on intense ELD instruction.
- Teachers should use specialized instructional methodologies to build their abilities to teach content to ELL students.
- Beneficial to ELL transitions are the flexible delivery and scheduling of academic and non-academic supports.
- It does not appear that any one school is implementing a coherent service delivery plan. Instead, there are examples of isolated implementation of best practices in a given area, but not across the school or for all ELL students
Lara, J., & Harford, S. (n.d.). Middle-to-High School Transition for English Language Learners: Promising School-Based Practices. Smaller Learning Communities Program. Retrieved January 13, 2011 from: http://www.edweek.org/media/final-middletohighschool.pdf
Out-of-School Immigrant Youth
Author: Public Policy Institute of California / Laura E. Hill and Joseph M. Hayes
Summary: This report considers the approximately 265,000 out-of-school immigrant youths (OSYs) in the state of California. This demographic is defined as individuals between the ages of 13 and 22 not currently enrolled in a school and without a high school diploma or GED. OSYs face many hardships, including high rates of poverty, lack of access to health care, and low incomes. Even though they do not have access to educational resources, OSYs remain a group of individuals who are very eager to both learn English and obtain their GEDs.
Tags: Instructional Programs; Latino ELL Students; Motivation; Rights, Students;
Target Population: High school
Research Questions the Report Poses: How well served are out-of-school immigrant youths in the state of California in general? How well served are out-of-school immigrant youths who receive services and resources from California's Migrant Education Program (MEP)?
Findings:
- Though the California Migrant Education Program's attempts to offer educational resources to OSYs, its limited funds and eligibility requirements only allow it to service about 80,000 OSYs.
- California OSYs are some of the most disadvantaged individuals in the state because their legal statuses often make access to public services difficult.
- California OSYs are very eager to continue their education, but they are often unable to do so because of a need to work.
- Approximately 80% of OSYs said their families depended on their incomes to survive.
Policy Recommendations:
- Increase funding to the California MEP
- Change eligibility requirements for receiving MEP funds so that more OSYs are able to receive them
- Offer educational opportunities that allow OSYs to both work and learn
To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
Public Policy Institute of California
500 Washington Street
Suite 800
San Francisco, California 94111
E-Mail:merina@ppic.org
Telephone: (415) 291-4400
Fax: (415) 291-4401
Hill, Laura., and Hayes, Joseph. (2007). Out-of-School Immigrant Youth. San Francisco, California: Public Policy Institute of California.
Public School Graduates and Dropouts From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2008-09
Author: Robert Stillwell, Jennifer Sable, Chris Plotts; National Center for Education Statistics; U.S. Department of Education.
Summary: The report shows raw data on the numbers of graduates and dropouts in each of the (reporting) states and territories of the U.S. as well as calculations of Averaged Freshman Graduation Rates (AFGR).
Tags: Intervention;
Target Population: High School
Research Questions the Report Poses: How many U.S. students graduated from high school and how many dropped out before completion in the 2008-09 school year?
Findings:
- The average graduation rate is 76%, with the lowest in Nevada (56%) and highest in Wisconsin (91%).
- The AFGR for the various ethnic groups are: Asian/Pacific Islander 92%, White 82%, Hispanic 66%, 65% American Indian/Alaska Native 65%, Black 64%.
- The average dropout rate in the 08-09 schoolyear was 4.1%. Wyoming had lowest (1.1%) and Illinois the highest (11.5%).
- Dropout rate was lowest in grade 9 and highest in grade 12.
- Dropout rate was higher for males (3.6%) than females (2.7%) in all states.
To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
NCES, IES, U.S. Department of Education 1990 K St NW Washington, DC 20006-5651
Stillwell, R., Sable, J., and Plotts, C. (2011). Public School Graduates and Dropouts From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2008-09 (NCES 2011-312. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 14, 2011 from: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2011/2011312.pdf
So Many Schools, So Few Options: How Mayor Bloomberg's Small High School Reforms Deny Full Access to English Language Learners
Author: The New York Immigration Coalition and Advocates for Children of New York
Summary: Although ELLs make up about 11.4% of the New York City high school population, in 2005-2006, 93 of 183 schools examined in this report had less than 5% of ELLs in their student body. This means that more than half of the high schools in the city had a very small ELL population. A policy that the NYC Department of Education has in place is to "allow small schools to exclude ELLs in [their] first two years of operation" (p. 7). Failure to follow required accommodation laws is also keeping ELLs out of many NYC high schools. In the borough of Queens, which has the most ELL students, only 7% of new high schools were built. Overall, the new plan toward having smaller schools in New York City is keeping ELLs from getting equal access to quality instruction because resources for ELL instruction are not prevalent.
Tags: Intervention; Rights, Students;
Target Population: High school
Research Questions the Report Poses: To what extent, if any, have ELLs actually been included in New York City's small high schools reform initiative?
Findings:
- As a result of the new schools program, ELL students are largely sequestered to a few schools with high percentages of ELLs while many other schools offer very little, if any, instruction or resources for ELLs.
- Because new schools are not being built in areas where ELLs are highly concentrated, ELLs are being kept from new schools.
- Most schools classified as small by this report (about 500 students) fail to provide adequate resources for ELL instruction.
- Because small schools are inadequately prepared to instruct ELLs, these students are forced to go to large, failing schools, which are the type of schools that the new schools plan was supposed to cut down on.
Policy Recommendations:
- Increase ELLs' access to small schools by building more small schools in areas where ELLs most commonly reside.
- Improve the high school admissions process so that ELLs are not excluded or kept out of small schools because of their ELL status.
To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
Advocates for Children of New York
151 West 30th Street — 5th Floor
New York, NY 10001
E-Mail: info@advocatesforchildren.org
Phone: (212)-947-9779
Fax: (212)-947-9790
The New York Immigration Coalition and Advocates for Children of New York. (2006, November). So Many Schools, So Few Options: How Mayor Bloomberg's Small High School Reforms Deny Full Access to English Language Learners. New York, NY: The New York Immigration Coalition and Advocates for Children of New York.
Southeast Asian American Children: Not the "Model Minority"
Author: Ka Ying Yang. The Future of Children. Princeton University. Brookings Institute.
Summary: In the second article, Yang points out that while as a group, Asian Americans are doing quite well, children whose ancestors are from Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam) continue to struggle with limited English skills, discrimination, miscommunication, and feelings of alienation. She urges policymakers to recognize that these children need attention and support to overcome their barriers to success.
Tags: Asian ELL Students; Intervention; Rights, Students;
Target Population: All
Research Questions the Report Poses: What general circumstances do Southeastern Asian Americans tend to experience?
Findings:
- Limited English skills
- Systematic communication between students, parents, and teachers
- Discrimination
- Widespread feelings of alienation from mainstream schools
Policy Recommendations:
- Disaggregate and disseminate more data.
- Promote Southeast Asian studies, courses, and personnel.
- Support community organizations.
- Create new systems for financial and technical support.
Yang, K.Y. (2004) “Southeast Asian American Children: Not the ‘Model Minority.’” Children of Immigrant Families 14 (2). The Future of Children. Retrieved from http://futureofchildren.org/futureofchildren/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=39&articleid=129§ionid=850.
The Dropout/Graduation Crisis Among American Indian and Alaska Native Students: Failure to Respond Places the Future of Native Peoples at Risk
Author: Susan C. Faircloth and John W. Tippeconnic, III; The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA; The Pennsylvania State University Center for the Study of Leadership in American Indian Education
Summary: This paper examines the graduation/dropout crisis among American Indian and Alaska Native students using data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Data from 2005 is drawn from the seven states with the highest percentage of American Indian and Alaska Native students as well as five states in the Pacific and Northwestern regions of the United States. Findings indicate that the number of American Indians and Alaska Natives who graduate continues to be a matter of urgent concern. On average, less than 50% of Native students in these twelve states graduate each year.
Tags: American Indian ELL Students; Other ELL Students (Middle Eastern, African, European, etc.);
Target Population: High School
Findings:
In the states studied by the authors of the reports:
- Overall graduation rates ranged from 54.1% to 79.2%. Graduation rates for American Indian/Alaska Native students ranged from 30.4% to 63.8%
- The gap in graduation rates between the overall state rates and the American Indian/Alaska Native rates was 17 percentage points or more, excluding Oklahoma and New Mexico.
- The poverty rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives is 26% compared to 12% of non-Natives.
- Lack of accurate data is due in part to a highly mobile population, a geographically dispersed student population, undercounting of the population, and distrust among this population regarding the use of data by the federal government.
Student- and school-level factors for AI/AN students dropping out include:
- irrelevant and innapropriate curriculum, assessment, and tracking
- feeling unwanted or "pushed out" of school
- poor quality of student-teacher relationships
- difficulty with classes and with reading
- frustrations related to student being older than other students
- distance from school and lack of adequate transportation
- language barriers
Policy Recommendations:
Key recommendations include the following:
- Conduct further research on the population (research questions specified) including case studies on successful schools.
- Improve data collection and reporting methods for American Indian and Alaska Native students at the state and national levels.
- Prepare educators to work with American Indian and Alaska Native students including (pre-service as well as in-service).
- Review and revise school policies and avoid implementation of policies that exclude, repress, demean, embarrass, harass or alienate Native students.
- Avoid use of negative stereotypes.
- Provide opportunities for students to be immersed in their Native language and culture and develop and implement culturally appropriate and relevant curricula.
Future questions for research include the following:
- Why is the graduation rate for American Indian and Alaska Native students consistently lower in North and South Dakota than in other states with high concentrations of American Indian and Alaska Native students?
- Why is the graduation gap between American Indian/Alaska Native students and their peers narrower in Oklahoma than in North and South
- Dakota?
- Why are American Indian/Alaska Native females graduating at rates higher than their male counterparts?
- To what extent do existing formulas for calculating graduation and dropout rates take into account the effects of student transfer and mobility rates?
- To what extent does an emphasis on tribal languages and cultures have on the dropout and graduation rates for American Indian and Alaska Native students?
To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
Shaena Engle, engle@gseis.ucla.edu: (310) 206-5951
Faircloth, Susan C., & Tippeconnic, III, John W. (2010). The Dropout/Graduation Rate Crisis Among American Indian and Alaska Native Students: Failure to Respond Places the Future of Native Peoples at Risk. Los Angeles, CA: The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA; www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu.
The Rising Price of Inequality: How Inadequate Grant Aid Limits College Access and Persistence
Author: Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.
Summary: The Advisory Committee on Student Finance is required to report and monitor the condition of college access for low and moderate income families to Congress. A part of this report is the adequacy of grant aids for those students and their effectiveness.
Tags: Intervention; Rights, Students;
Target Population: Post-secondary
Research Questions the Report Poses: How do grant aid limit college assess and persistence among low-income and moderate income graduates?
Findings:
- Large-scale mismatches exist and are growing between the aspirations and qualifications of these high school graduates and where they are able financially to enroll in college.
- Triggered by increasing family financial concerns about college expenses and financial aid, these mismatches are shifting initial enrollment of qualified students away from 4-year colleges.
- Shifts in initial enrollment are consequential because where qualified high school graduates are able to start college (access) largely determines their likelihood of success (persistence).
- Exacerbating the negative impact of enrollment shifts, persistence rates today appear to be lower, especially for qualified high school graduates who are unable financially to start at a 4-year college.
- Maintaining financial access to 4-year public colleges for qualified high school graduates is of paramount policy importance.
- Between 1992 and 2004, initial enrollment rates of academically qualified low- and moderate-income high school graduates in 4-year colleges shifted downward: from 54 percent to 40 percent, and from 59 percent to 53 percent, respectively.
- The cause appears to have been an increase in the importance of college expenses and financial aid to parents and students between 1992 and 2004 (Table 4, page 17). Differences in family financial concerns accounted for 45 percentage points difference in 4-year college enrollment for in 2004.
- High school graduates from low-income families who started at a 4-year college earned a bachelor's degree over three times more often than their peers who started at a 2-year college, 62 percent vs. 20 percent. Their peers from moderate-income income families earned the degree nearly twice as often, 67 percent vs. 34 percent (table 7, page 26). Given current policies, shifts in enrollment from 4-year to 2-year colleges have implications for degree completion.
- Persistence of low-income high school graduates five years after starting at a 4-year college has fallen from 78 percent to 75 percent; for those from moderate-income families, persistence has remained at 81 percent (figure 25, page 27). For those starting at a 2-year college, persistence has fallen significantly .
Policy Recommendations:
- In addition, given steadily rising net prices and cumulative loan burdens, and the considerable impact of parent financial concerns in 10th grade on college enrollment behavior, a national experiment is required. Its purpose would be to determine the impact on family financial concerns of current features of the federal student loan programs - in particular, the income-contingency and forgiveness provisions. This study should determine how the programs might be improved to offset the negative effects of financial concerns on students taking the steps of testing, applying, and enrolling in a 4-year college (exhibit five, page 35).
- Improving academic preparation alone might raise the rates to only 27 percent and 39 percent, respectively (table 13, page 37).
- Improving access (enrollment) alone might raise the rates to only 33 percent and 42 percent, respectively (table 14, page 38).
- Improving persistence alone might raise the rates to only 34 percent and 45 percent, respectively (table 15, page 39).
- Conduct a National Loan Experiment.
- Implement a Comprehensive Federal Strategy.
“The Rising Price of Inequality: How Inadequate Grant Aid Limits College Access and Persistence”. (2010). Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. Retrieved August 3, 2010 from: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010015.pdf
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