Jacobo Suarez, Monica
(2013)
Educating immigrant children in the United States: A mixed methods analysis of achievement of Hispanic students in Pennsylvania.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
The education of immigrant students in the U.S., especially those of Hispanic origin, poses an important challenge to education policy because: i) there is a considerable achievement gap between Hispanic students and White students; ii) Hispanic students are over-represented within the English language learner population; and iii) Hispanic students remain more likely than other immigrant students to come from disadvantaged families. This dissertation identifies the necessary determinants of achievement for Hispanic students while systematically illustrating a number of public policy challenges that constraint educators in Pennsylvania, a state experiencing a recent and a rapid surge of Hispanic immigrants. It specifically asks: What are the effects of student background characteristics and school attributes on individual performance of Hispanic students? What are the main challenges that schools encounter when serving this population? And, what policy recommendations could contribute to enhance the achievement of Hispanic students? To answer these questions satisfactorily, it draws on literatures and methods from three scholarships: Education, Applied Linguistics, and Sociology of Immigration. It utilizes case studies and applies Hierarchical Linear Modeling to a state representative sample of students who took the Pennsylvania System of School Achievement test during 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Findings suggest that student background characteristics significantly predict achievement among Hispanic students and their effect is larger than those of school attributes. The major challenges that schools face in relation to teaching Hispanic students include the English language barrier, a poor academic background knowledge, and low parental involvement. Three strategies showed to be highly effective to address these challenges: constant monitoring of student’s achievement; use of achievement data to inform instructional decisions and tailor interventions to individual students’ needs; and the existence of ESL certified teachers and bilingual school staff. Based on these findings, policy recommendations are offered at the school and district level.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
26 June 2013 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
4 April 2013 |
| Approval Date: |
26 June 2013 |
| Submission Date: |
30 April 2013 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
217 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Graduate School of Public and International Affairs > Public and International Affairs |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Hispanics, math achievement, reading achievement, Hierarchical Linear Modeling, Case Studies, Pennsylvania |
| Date Deposited: |
26 Jun 2013 19:46 |
| Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 14:12 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/18633 |
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