ERIC Number: EJ1448627
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 31
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0195-6744
EISSN: EISSN-1549-6511
Immigrant Optimism and Ever-English Learners' Journeys from Kindergarten to College in Texas
Rebecca Callahan; Lauren Schudde; Kimberly Pack-Cosme
American Journal of Education, v131 n1 p125-155 2024
Purpose: Immigrant-origin English learners (ELs) are the fastest-growing population in US schools. Most EL research examines the college-going outcomes of this population by focusing on those who are EL-identified in high school; here, we capture both current and former EL-identified students, or "ever-ELs." A subset of bilingual, immigrant-origin students, ever-ELs may theoretically benefit from the high expectations of their foreign-born parents. In this study, we use an expanded analytic lens (ever-EL) to test whether an immigrant advantage exists with respect to high school graduation and college enrollment. Research Methods: We use multilevel models and longitudinal, statewide administrative K-12 and higher education data capturing kindergartners in 1999 and 2000 (N = 414,628) to examine how ever-EL status predicts five outcomes: high school graduation, application to a 4-year college, any college enrollment, and within that, two-year enrollment, and four-year enrollment. Findings: Results show that ever-EL status is associated with a greater likelihood of graduating from high school, and, among high school graduates, ever-ELs are significantly more likely to enroll in college; however, this is due to the fact that they are significantly more likely to attend a 2-year college and less likely to enroll in a 4-year institution. Implications: We find limited evidence of an immigrant advantage among ever-ELs; instead, we suggest that systemic and structural challenges associated with the EL label may stand in ever-ELs' postsecondary pathways and impede full realization of their immigrant potential.
Descriptors: Immigrants, Psychological Patterns, English Language Learners, Elementary Secondary Education, Bilingual Students, High School Graduates, College Enrollment, Academic Persistence, Advantaged, Barriers, Expectation, Two Year Colleges
University of Chicago Press. Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005, Chicago, IL 60637. Tel: 877-705-1878; Tel: 773-753-3347; Fax: 877-705-1879; Fax: 773-753-0811; e-mail: subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu; Web site: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/journals/aje/about
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A