Winter 2011
Issue 1
Strengthening Educational Partnerships:
Creative Solutions to Meet the Needs of
Immigrant Families
Policy Brief
Child & Family Policy Center
ISSUE
Children who live in immigrant families constitute an ever-growing number in our nation‘s
schools and communities. In a city which prides itself on cultural diversity, 14% of New
York City‘s student population in K-12 is considered English Language Learners, with the
largest concentration (54%) in grades K-5 (New York City Department of Education, 20092010). Because these learners have unique academic demands, educators are always
searching for methods to adapt and respond to the challenges they face. Similarly,
researchers and policymakers engage in efforts to generate and disseminate quality data
which inform such decisions.
During spring 2010, the Child & Family Policy Center at New York University convened a
Forum meeting comprised of early childhood researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and
foundation representatives. The aim of this meeting was to identify the core issues which
immigrant children and families confront within the dynamic system of early childhood
services of New York City. Our ultimate goal was to generate concrete, actionable
solutions to the most prevalent challenges. In doing so, we strengthen programs and
partnerships—one small step in the direction of effectively serving an increasingly more
visible fraction of the New York City‘s children.
What follows is a brief report of the topics addressed at this Forum on Children and
Families, “Strengthening Educational Partnerships: Creative Solutions to Meet the Needs
of Immigrant Families”. We present the central questions addressed by our keynote
speakers, panelists and audience participants. Recommendations for immediate practice
improvements and long-term policy considerations are provided.
.
Forum on Children and Families Policy Brief Issue 1, Winter 2011
Page 2 Policy Brief: Forum on Children & Families
Children of Immigrant Families in New York City Schools
1
Africa/Middle
East
South Asia 6%
11%
Caribbean
33%
East Asia
12%
Europe
15%
Who are New York City‘s children? In New York City public elementary and middle
schools, approximately 52% of students are considered children of immigrants.
According to Conger (2010) and New York City Department of Education (2000-01),
New York City is the home of various immigrants groups, with Caribbean
communities making up the largest percentage of immigrant families in NYC (see
fig.1). With such diversity in our City, these numbers become relevant when
examining the distribution of immigrant groups within our public schools.
Latin America
23%
Characteristics of Native- and Foreign-born NYC
Students, 2000-01
Foreign- NativeBorn
Born
% of students who are:
Eligible for free/reduced meal
89%
85%
Other than English at home
76%
37%
English learner
28%
6%
Hispanic
36%
39%
Black
27%
37%
White
17%
14%
Asian
27%
8%
Figure 1:
New York City Immigrant
Demographics (2000-2001)
U.S. Census Data
Source: Who are Our Students? A Statistical Portrait of Immigrant Students in New York City
Elementary and Middle Schools. The Institute for Education and Social Policy, 2003.
Table 1:
New York City Department of Education, Elementary and Middle School students
Who are our ELLs?:
Home Languages
Spanish (66%)
Chinese (12.8%)
Bengali (3.3%)
Arabic (2.8%)
Haitian Creole (2.2%)
Urdu (2.0%)
Russian (1.9%)
French (1.2%)
Albanian (0.7%)
Korean (0.6%)
Punjabi (0.6%)
Polish (0.5%)
New York City Department of
Education (2009-2010)
1
There is an equal percentage of Hispanic, Black, and White children who are foreignborn and native-born (New York City Department of Education statistics, 2000-2001).
Language use other than English within the home differs significantly between the
two groups. Foreign-born children in our schools make up a larger percentage of
English Language Learners (ELL‘s) compared to their native-born counterparts
(Table1).
According to NYC DOE, English Language Learners (ELL‘s) are defined as ―a
student that comes from a home where a language other than English is spoken- and
– scores below a state-designated level of proficiency on the Language Assessment
Battery-Revised (LAB-R)‖ (Infante, 2010). NYC schools report that 14% of their
student population is comprised of ELL‘s, where 41% of these students report
speaking a language other than English at home. The majority of the students in our
public schools (Pre-K through 12) speak Spanish (N=66%). However, more recently
immigrant groups speaking languages other than Spanish are enrolling in the city
schools, creating new challenges for disseminating information. This context creates
opportunities for conversations between early childhood service providers and
elementary schools to address the varied needs and challenges in a city with such
rich diversity. Additionally, our young children enter early childhood programs and
schools with a wealth of knowledge and cultural diversity which creates a unique
exchange of information between families and schools.
The census data reported here are the most recent available.
Forum on Children & Families Policy Brief 1, Winter 2011
Page 3 Policy Brief: Forum on Children & Families
The Lives of Children from Immigrant Families:
Unique Challenges
Children from immigrant families, or child immigrants, face
unique challenges that influence their daily living and
capacity to engage in the learning process. Research
suggests that there are several dominant themes that
represent what children and their families experience as
part of their adjustment to American culture: family
separation,
mixed
status
families,
and
mobility/deportations
(Dreby,2010a,b;
Fortuny,
Hernandez, & Chaudry, 2010). By understanding the
complex nature of children‘s lives, we are better able to
effectively address their educational needs.
Family separation disproportionately affects immigrant
families from Mexican and Central American countries
(Dreby, 2010b). When families face separation, this can
cause a lot of stress, uncertainty, and resentment between
children and parents. Research suggests that family
separation can be harmful to children‘s educational
trajectory. Children ―left behind‖ by migrant parents
perform more poorly in school than their peers on many
factors (Giorguli, 2004; Heymann et al., 2009; Kandel &
Kao, 2000).
poverty as compared to children of non-immigrants
(Dinan, 2006; Reardon-Anderson, Capps, & Fix, 2002;
Shetterly, 1996; The Urban Institute, 2006). In 2004, 61
percent of children of immigrants lived in families in which
one or both parents lacked a legal status (Urban Institute,
2006). Children who live in such households take on new
roles to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of the
family. They are used as family translators and cultural
brokers (tutors, advocates, and surrogate parents). When
children take on such critical roles it can create tensions in
the educational environment for these families. In a recent
study, for example, mixed-status household parents
struggle to monitor children‘s schooling thus leading
parents to feel insecure about institutional interventions
that schools have in place (Dreby, 2010a).
Issues of mobility and deportation are common in
immigrant communities. The lack of stability in the U.S.-often due to economic position or work conditions-- lead to
negative consequences for families and children (Chaudry
et al, 2010).
Children in immigrant families are nearly twice as likely to
have poor health, live in overcrowded housing, and live in
Meeting the Needs of Children from Immigrant Families
Through the work of the Forum, three areas were identified as meaningful contexts
where supports to children and immigrant families can improve: 1) Parent
Engagement/Involvement, 2) Transition from Pre-K to Elementary School, and 3)
Integrative Early Childhood Services.
Strategies for Enhancing Parent Engagement
Parents play a critical role in supporting their children‘s growth and development.
Specifically, family engagement in the early years is essential for laying the foundation
that promotes a child‘s learning and later school success (Bredekamp, 1997). Yet, many
immigrant families may not know how to help their children at home or in school—or may
not perceive this role as ―appropriate‖ and best reserved for the ―professional teacher‖.
Often immigrant parents do not speak English and may feel disconnected from the
school environment (Borba, 2009). Furthermore, the ways parents from diverse
immigrant families do get involved may not coincide with the system‘s expectations of
involvement. Thus, in the diverse context of NYC schools, and related early childhood
education programs, it is essential to define parent involvement or engagement in
dynamic, culturally meaningful ways. Teachers, administrators and staff should engage
in efforts to understand the culture of families in the school context and build rapport
through ongoing communication.
Forum on Children & Families Policy Brief 1, Winter 2011
―Teachers,
administrators, and
staff should engage in
efforts to understand
the culture of families
in the school context
and build rapport
through ongoing
communication.‖
Page 4 Policy Brief: Forum on Children & Families
Successful parent participation in the child‘s learning process depends upon recognizing individual strengths,
establishing positive parent-professional relationships, and providing support and resources for parents/families.
With educative experiences and support, parents are more apt to become advocates and partners in their child‘s
education. Creating connections for parents between their natural interactions with their children (e.g., book
reading, cooking activities) and what is happening in the classroom is a way to bridge the home-school
connection. Increased linguistic and cultural sensitivity will also help to include all family members in the
educational process. Because immigrant families rely on extended families for care-giving roles, supporting
familial relationships will indirectly foster the child‘s development.
Policy recommendations for strengthening parent involvement in
home, school and early childhood programs:
Home Strengths



Expand the meaning of parent involvement to include all family members
(e.g., grandparents, siblings).
Capitalize on resources of family members by sharing their native
culture(s) (e.g., ethnic foods, cooking activities, language).
Empower parents and families by providing resources and programs
tailored to their needs (e.g., family literacy, citizenship classes, computer
training).
School Strengths






Provide a variety of opportunities for involvement at the school-level (e.g.,
workshops, home-based literacy activities, books).
Provide a parent ‗facilitator‘ or coordinator to establish procedures for
ongoing communication between and among parents and professionals.
Parent-to-parent communication (e.g., bilingual hotlines, phone trees)
Written materials and information regarding community and school
resources (e.g., newsletter, handbooks). Translate into native language
Ensure the professional development of staff members to become culturally
and linguistically sensitive to the individual needs of parents and families.
Devise ways to interact positively with parents
Research/Policy Initiatives



Integrate Department of Education services and programs with Community
Based Organizations to ensure cohesion of services and funding.
Utilize surveys within the schools and communities and gather information
from parents about what is needed to support parent involvement.
Provide equal resources across schools (e.g., translators, bilingual staff).
Forum on Children & Families Policy Brief 1, Winter 2011
Page 5 Policy Brief: Forum on Children & Families
Transition from Pre-K to Elementary
School: Best practice and strategies
Children enter kindergarten from a variety of preschool
settings (e.g., Day Care, Head Start, Universal PreKindergarten). Because the type and intensity of
classroom supports, parent involvement, and studentteacher ratio differ between Pre-Kindergarten settings
and elementary school (Shore, 1998). This transition can
be difficult, especially for immigrant parents due to
cultural and linguistic barriers. Some preschool programs
provide lists of local elementary schools and encourage
parents to visit their feeder school at the end of the
school year. By contrast, parents may be engaged in
more collaborative, system supported efforts which
empower and engage families in the transition process.
One way to do this is by aligning professional
development and curricula across early childhood
programs and elementary schools, and through
community coordination. Parents receive information
about how the pre-school experience translates to the
elementary curriculum and expectations.
The literature on ‗transition‘ suggests that schools must
provide continuity and connections across contexts
(Pianta & Cox, 1999). The variability in this transitional
process leads to very different familial engagement in
the schooling process (Education Commission of the
States, 2000). In addition, programs need to recognize
the dynamic relationships that exist between families,
school staff, and community in the transition process.
Because of the variability in transition policies, there is
no one ‗best practice‘. However, we can draw from
some promising programs to inform good practice for
this important change.
Promising programs:
Supporting Transitions from Early Education to Public
School (STEPS) is a new program-to-policy initiative
across five early childhood centers and three public
elementary schools in the South Bronx where a large
percentage of third grade students scored low on
proficiency exams. The four components of the project
include: Align professional development across early
childhood and public school; empower and engage
families; improve community coordination; and create
system-wide reform. The goal of the project is to provide
continuity across all levels in the quest to build and
sustain children‘s social, emotional, and academic
growth.
three benchmark transitions. These include: transition
from pregnancy to home visiting; transition from home
visiting to preschool; and transition from preschool to
kindergarten. Formal and informal meetings that include
family, teachers, and staff; classroom visits to
kindergarten; sharing assessments of early childhood
teachers and special needs coordinator with kindergarten
teachers ensures continuity during the process.
Policy recommendations for improving the
transition from pre-kindergarten settings to
elementary school:
School/Community Strengths

Establish a school and program transition team
and include an early childhood ‗coordinator‘ at the
district-level.

Dissemination of information by CBO‘s to clarify
procedures for making successful transitions (e.g.,
literacy activities, registration information).
Research/Policy Initiatives

Develop partnerships that include: school
personnel (teachers, principals, superintendents);
parents and children; preschool personnel (ed.
directors, teachers); community groups.

Collaboration and coordination between CBO‘s,
ACS, and DOE.

Align curricula and professional development
across programs serving children (0-8 years).

Look to promising programs (e.g., local NYC
Head Start Programs, Abbott Program, European
model, Montgomery County Public Schools Model)
Creating integrative services to better
support immigrant children and families
Building capacity and creating opportunities for positive
growth in immigrant communities goes far beyond the
educational context. To serve children and families
effectively and increase the chances of sustained social,
economic, and developmental improvement in their lives,
Children‘s Aid Society‘s Community Schools Initiative
an integrative services approach to early childhood
has a component that engages children and families in
services must be recognized. A system of services which
include, but are not limited to, mental health services,
community development, and
Forum on Children & Families education,
Policy Briefhealthcare,
1, Winter 2011
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Policy Brief: Forum on Children & Families
advocacy creates the needed supports to address the
dynamic, complex issues faced by immigrant families in this
City. Some existing city-based organizations who model a
comprehensive approach to early childhood services include:
University Settlement provides integrative services to meet
the needs of immigrant families and advocates for those
most in need. Services include housing assistance, health,
mental health, adult education (e.g., English classes), and
crisis intervention. Early intervention and childcare serve
families with children (zero to five). The program also
includes comprehensive professional development by
experts in the field of early childhood education.
Children‘s Aid Society‘s Community School Approach
provides comprehensive services sustained from birth to age
five in two New York City full-service community schools.
Support for families and children throughout the
developmental continuum include: Doula services, home
visiting, early childhood programs, and transition to
kindergarten.
The full-service community school aligns
integrated services (social services, mental health team,
school-based health clinic) and education to ensure the
needs of children and families. An important focus of the
program is ―respecting the culture‖ of the many low-income
Latino immigrants served by providing bilingual staff and
building on parents‘ knowledge and experiences.
Abyssinian Development Corporation (Soukeyna Boye
Spivey, 2010) serves immigrant families from a variety of
backgrounds (West African, Middle Eastern, South
American). Some families are refugees who have faced
trauma and poverty in their native country. Strengthening the
entire family in a caring, culturally sensitive environment
helps them to succeed in a new country. The program offers
a ―hub‖ for supporting and empowering the immigrant
population.
Partnerships with universities, community
leaders, and religious organizations provide support for
family literacy, ESOL, and a variety of adult education
courses to help parents gain confidence and new skills.
Policy recommendations for supporting a
seamless, integrative system of early
childhood services for children and families:
Community/School Initiatives



Create community-based ‗hubs‘ to triage needs of
community members (e.g., family literacy, language
learning programs).
Offer a flexible schedule (e.g., Administration for
Children and Families Community Partnership
Initiative – CPI). CPI is an approach to rethink and
reorient systems to develop a more integrative
approach to family service delivery.
Encourage grassroots models staffed with bilingual
personnel and community advocates.
.
Research/Policy Initiatives


Establish a centralized tracking system to align
services with family needs.
Conduct focus groups to assess family goals and
needs.
Advocacy/Practice Initiatives

Organize informal forums for outreach.
Conclusion
Children from immigrant families require unique and strong
supports to succeed.
By strengthening links between
educational, community and social programs, we create a
comprehensive and integrative approach to addressing the
academic success and development of young immigrant
children. The policy and practice recommendations offered
in this brief serve as a first step in this direction.
Forum on Children & Families Policy Brief 1, Winter 2011
Page 7 Policy Brief: Forum on Children & Families
References
Borba, M. (2009, May). Caring closes the language-learning gap. Phi Delta Kappan. 90, 681-685.
Bredekamp, S., & Copple. (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from
birth through age 8.Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Chaudry, A., Capps, R., Pedroza, J., Castaneda, R.M., Santos, R., & Scott, M. (2010). Facing our Future: Children in the
Aftermath of Immigration Enforcement.
Urban Institute, February 2010. Retrieved from http://www.fcdus.org/sites/default/files/FacingOurFuture.pdf.
Conger, D. (2010). Immigrant Students in New York City. New York City, NY: Forum on Children & Families, Keynote
Speaker: Strengthening Educational Partnerships: Creative Solutions to Meet the Needs of Immigrant Families,
May 14, 2010.
Dreby, J. (2010a). Tensions and Accommodations in Immigrant Households. New York City, NY: Forum on Children &
Families, Keynote Speaker: Strengthening Educational Partnerships: Creative Solutions to Meet the Needs of
Immigrant Families, May 14, 2010.
Dreby, J. (2010b). Divided by Borders: Mexican Migrants and their Children. Berkley: University of California Press.
Education Commission of the States. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.ecs.org/
Ellen, I., O'Regan, K., & Conger, D. (2009). Immigration and urban schools: The dynamics of demographic change in the
nation's largest school district. Education and Urban Society, 41(3), 295-316. Retrieved 17 August 2010, from
PsycINFO Database.
Fortuny, K., Hernandez, D., & Chaudry, A. (2010). Young Children of Immigrants: The Leading Edge of America’s future.
Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, Brief No. 3. Retrieved from http://www.fcd-us.org/resources/young-childrenimmigrants-leading-edge-americas-future?.
Giorguli Saucedo, S.E. (2004), "Transitions from school to work: educational outcomes, adolescent labor and families in
Mexico", Brown University, Providence, RI, PhD dissertation.
Heymann, J., Flores-Macias, F., Hayes, J., Kennedy, M., Lahaie, C., & Earle, A. (2009). The impact of migration on the wellbeing of transnational families: New data from sending communities in Mexico. Community, Work & Family, 12(1),
91-103. Retrieved 17 August 2010, from PsycINFO Database.
Infante, A. (2010). English Language Learners (ELLs) in New York City. New York City, NY: Forum on Children & Families,
Strengthening Educational Partnerships: Creative Solutions to Meet the Needs of Immigrant Families, May 14,
2010.
Kandel, W., & Kao, G. (2000). Shifting orientations: How U.S. labor migration affects children's aspirations in Mexican
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Marietta, G. (2010). Lessons in Early Learning: Building an Integrated Pre-K-12 System in Montgomery County Public
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Pianta, R.C. and Cox, M.J., 1999. The changing nature of the transition to school: Trends for the next decade. In: Pianta,
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Adults: The San Luis Valley Health and Aging Study. American Journal of Public Health, 86 (12), 1798-801.
Shore, R. (1998). Ready Schools: A report of the Goal 1 Ready Schools Resource Group. Washington, DC: The National
Education Goals Panel.
Soukeyna Boye Spivey, (2010) Promising Programs, practices, and partnerships. New York City, NY: Forum on Children &
Families, Strengthening Educational Partnerships: Creative Solutions to Meet the Needs of Immigrant Families,
May 14, 2010.
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Forum on Children & Families Policy Brief 1, Winter 2011
Figures.
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Page 9 Policy Brief: Forum on Children & Families
Forum Committee, Spring 2010
LaRue Allen, Ph.D., New York University
Jennifer Astuto, Ph.D., New York University
Sherry Davidson, Ph.D., Child & Family Policy Center
Cristina Medellin-Paz, Child & Family Policy Center
Gigliana Melzi, Ph.D., New York University
Special Thanks to Forum Speakers
Keynote Speakers:
Dylan Conger, Ph.D., George Washington University
Joanna Dreby, Ph.D., Kent State University
Panelists:
Soukeyna Boye-Spivey, Abyssinian Development Corporation
Margaret Caspe, Ph.D., Children‘s Aid Society
Angelica Infante, M.A. Ed., New York City Department of Education
Raysa Rodriguez, M.A., The United Way of New York City
Sheila Smith, Ph.D., National Center for Children in Poverty
This document was prepared with the support of the Foundation for Child Development (FCD). The Foundation for Child
Development is a national private philanthropy in New York City dedicated to promoting a new beginning for American
rd
education from Pre-Kindergarten through Third Grade (PreK-3 ). The Foundation promotes the well-being of children, and
believes that families, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government at all levels share complimentary
responsibilities in the critical task of raising new generations. The opinions and information expressed in this policy brief are
those of the authors and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation for Child Development.
We would also like to thank the Institute for Human Development and Social Change at New York Univeristy for the
generous support of this Forum. The Institute aims to break new intellectual ground through its support for interdisciplinary
research and training across social, behavioral, health and policy sciences. For more information about the Institute visit
http://wagner.nyu.edu/centers/ihdsc.php.
Child & Family Policy Center
New York University
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
Kimball Hall
246 Greene Street
New York, New York 10003
212 998 5076 | 212 995 4215 fax www.steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/cfpc
Director : LaRue Allen, Ph.D.
Assistant Director : Jennifer Astuto, Ph.D.
Forum on Children & Families Policy Brief 1, Winter 2011
Page 10 Policy Brief: Forum on Children & Families
Strengthening Educational Partnerships:
Creative Solutions to Meet the Needs of Immigrant Families
Forum Attendants
Moyjae Aaron
LaRue Allen
Ana Maria Aramburo
Jennifer Astuto
Jan Barbieri
Marilyn Bartlett
Juliette Berg
Diane Black-Greene
Kimber Bogard
Soukeyna Boye Spivey
Gregory Brender
Katiuska Cabral
Sharon Cadiz
Elise Cappela
Suzanne Carothers
Margaret Caspe
Sherry Cleary
Lissette Colon
Dylan Conger
Sherry Davidson
Joanna Dreby
Neil Duskis
Cynthia Esposito Lamy
Simo Essayoufi
Patricia Ferguson
Ola Friday
Maria Galarza
Rocio Galarza
Erin Godfrey
Mary Hayes
Donald Hernandez
Betty Holcomb
Alexis Howard
Angelica Infante
Mila Kuznetsova
Rosa Lavergne
Veronica Leon
Mark Lewis
Stacey Li
Amy Lowenstein
Nina Lublin
Cristina Medellin
Gigliana Melzi
Kaitlyn Mischlen
Yasmin Morales Alexander
Lynda Nicolas
Milagros Nores
Judy Perry
Nina Piros
Raquel Pittman
Rtia Prats-Rodriguez
Krystal Reyes
Luis Reyes
Rose Rivera
Telva Rivera
Linda Rodriguez
Raysa Rodriguez
Rachel Romesburg
Patricia Ruiz Navarro
Stephen Ruszczyk
Diane Semper
Ashley Smith
Sheila Smith
Cyllvia Springer
Adam Tenney
Deborah Thompson Velazquez
Catalina Torrente
Fredrik Tunvall
Juan D. Vargas
Cesar Zuniga
Forum on Children & Families Policy Brief 1, Winter 2011