ERIC Number: ED614636
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021-May
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Methodological Brief: An Alternative Approach to Measuring Student Immigrant Generation
Baumgartner, Erin; Holzman, Brian; Sánchez, Luis
Houston Education Research Consortium
Student immigrant generation can be estimated using an alternative method when data to calculate a traditional indicator are not available. An alternative method to determine immigrant generation may be helpful to school districts as they support and plan services for immigrant students and their families. Traditionally, child and parent birthplace are used to calculate an indicator of immigrant generation, with children classified as first generation if they and their parent(s) are born outside the United States, second generation if they are born in the United States and their parent(s) are foreign-born, and third (or higher) generation if both they and their parent(s) are born in the United States. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) relies on a definition provided by the federal government that describes an immigrant student as one who is not born in the United States and has not attended U.S. schools for more than three years, essentially creating an indicator that only identifies recently-arrived first generation students (2015). Because of this narrow definition, local education agencies may miss opportunities to provide important resources to second generation students who are also children of immigrants. The data needed to calculate immigrant generation using traditional approaches are often not available to school districts -- specifically, parent birthplace. Using parent language as a proxy for parent birthplace provides a means of approximating student immigrant generation in the face of these data limitations. An indicator of generation that extends goes beyond federal and state definitions of "immigrant" may be helpful to districts when planning services and outreach to students and their families, particularly when considering culturally-appropriate strategies for communication.
Descriptors: Immigrants, Student Characteristics, Measurement Techniques, Computation, Elementary Secondary Education, Preschool Education, Language, Parent Background
Houston Education Research Consortium. 6100 Main Street, MS-258, Houston, Texas 77005. Tel: 713-348-2532; e-mail: herc@rice.edu; Web site: https://kinder.rice.edu/houston-education-research-consortium
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Rice University, Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC)
Identifiers - Location: Texas (Houston)
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: National Household Education Survey; Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey; American Community Survey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A