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New report shines a spotlight on the struggles faced by children of immigrant families
Race for Results, a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation as part of its
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Credit: EdSource
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ongoing Kids Count data project, provides a comprehensive picture of immigration patterns and their impact on young people in the U.S.
The report describes the significant challenges that children face as a result of their, or their parents', immigration status. The researchers emphasize the importance of policies to "keep families together when a member lacks authorization to be in the United
States, better enabling children to meet developmental
milestones and parents to meet the needs of their kids
while ensuring an effective future workforce for the
nation's economy." Among the findings of the report:
- One in four children in the United States is growing up in an immigrant family. These 18 million children live in families that emigrated from across the globe (61 percent from Latin America, 24 percent from Asia, 8 percent from Europe and 5 percent from Africa).
- California has by far the largest number of children from immigrant families -- nearly 4.4 million. A brief from Education Trust-West found that about 1 in 8 students in California schools has at least one parent who is undocumented.
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Eighty-eight percent of children in immigrant families are citizens either because they were born in the United States or because they became naturalized citizens. An estimated
6 percent of young people under age 18, however, are not authorized to be in the country. The remainder are lawful permanent residents or have some other legal status.
- Children in immigrant families are more likely to live in households where at least one parent lacks a high school diploma. According to the report, this "greatly limits the ability of parents to provide for the basic needs of their families."
On many academic indicators, there are large gaps between immigrant children and non-immigrant children. Only 5 percent of English-learner eighth graders, for instance, are proficient in mathematics versus 34 percent of U.S.-born students as measured using the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
As one strategy to address such gaps, the report recommends that policymakers focus on the early care and education needs of children in immigrant families. Currently, only 59 percent of
3- and 4-year-old children of immigrants are enrolled in early childhood programs. Though immigrant families may be eligible for Head Start or child care subsidies, barriers such as language and culture, as well as fear of being deported, may get in the way. A focus on "expanding early childhood programs that support English-language learning in communities with high numbers of immigrant families" and ensuring that teachers are "culturally competent" may increase the number of young children from immigrant families in programs that can help pave the way for academic success.
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Credit: EdSource
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In a blog post, Child Trends author Monica Arkin reminds us that "outdoor play should be recognized not just as a treat reserved for summertime, but as a full-time staple of healthy development throughout the school year."
Arkin cites research from Norway that found that among children ages 4 through 7, "those who spent more time outside during child care performed better on an executive function assessment and showed fewer inattention-hyperactivity symptoms."
She also points to a positive relationship between unstructured play time, both outdoors and in, and improvements in young children's ability to plan and strategize without help from an adult.
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The amount of time young children spend on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets has tripled in the last four years, according to a
nationwide report that measures technology use among children 8 years old and younger.
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Credit: Alison Yin for EdSource
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Children in that age group, on average, currently spend 48 minutes per day on a mobile device, compared to 15 minutes per day in 2013 and 5 minutes in 2011, according to the report released Thursday, by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that reviews media and digital products for children.
Interestingly, however, researchers said they were surprised to find out "children overwhelmingly prefer paper books over digital." Of the 29 minutes children spent reading each day, they spent three minutes on devices and the remaining time reading from a printed book.
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Credit: Ashley Hopkinson for EdSource
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Young children with at least one parent who speaks a language other than English at home are less likely to be enrolled in quality early childhood programs, although it is most critical for those students, according to
a national report that includes a 30-state analysis on how different policies affect dual language learners.
"Dual language learners especially stand to benefit from participation in high-quality pre-K. However, dual language learners in California are enrolling in pre-K programs at lower rates than their non-dual language learner peers, which may contribute to lags in kindergarten readiness for this population," according to
the California section of the report by the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research and policy organization in Washington D.C.
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Credit: EdSource |
Californians overwhelmingly support expanding science and computer education starting in elementary school, according to a Berkeley IGS/EdSource poll.
The online survey of 1,200 registered voters in California found that 87 percent favored schools putting "greater emphasis on integrating science as part of the entire public school curriculum." Although by far the majority of respondents said they had never heard of the
Next Generation Science Standards, the new science standards adopted by the state in 2013, 68 percent support the concept once the standards were described to them. The poll was conducted from late August to early September.
The new standards encourage critical thinking over rote memorization, and emphasize hands-on learning, with more classroom-based experiments.
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In a recent blog post, researchers from the progressive policy institute Center for American Progress break down how the Trump tax plan, including proposed childcare tax credits (CTC), would affect working families. They conclude that it is wealthier families that will actually benefit: "Trump's claim that he is supporting hardworking families through an increased CTC -- even though his overall tax overhaul demonstrably deserts them -- is just putting a bandage on a bullet wound.
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