T H E F A C T S T H AT C A N

CONTRIBUTE TO LOW
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE ON
IMMIGRANT STUDENTS
BY:
DENISE MARIA
LAURA PANTOJA
• John O. Ogbu and Hebert from the departament of
Antropology and school of education of Berkley university
realize a study of school performance in minorities.
• Ogbu studied minority education for 28 years. the first 15
years he studied school performance between minorities
and the dominant group. He contributed the differences
how they were treated in society and responses to school
based on that treatement.
• In the early 80's he focus in school performance within
minority groups
 OGBU CLASSIFIED THE MINORITY
GROUPS IN TO THREE GROUPS:

–Autonomous
–Voluntary minority(immigrants)
– Involuntary immigrants (non-immigrants)
 AUTONOMOUS GROUP:
• He referred to a small group of people that are
different in religion practice, race, ethnicity and
language and that might suffer from
discrimination but are not dominated or
oppressed and their achievemet were the same
as the dominant group.
THE TWO MINORITY CLASSIFICATIONS
OF IMMIGRANTS ARE:
– voluntary (immigrant) people from Africa, China, India, Japan,
Korea, Central and South America, The Caribbean and Mexico.
– involuntary(non-immigrant) people from Alaska Natives, Native
Americans, Mexican Americans who were conquered, African
Americans that were brought as slaves, Puerto Ricans and
Native Hawaiians who were colonized.
 THESE TWO MINORITY GROUPS DIFFER IN
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE BY TWO FACTORS:

1. The way they understand History of their settlement in the

United State and the way they have been treated by the American
Society.

2. How such treatment makes them respond to school.

 VOLUNTARY IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR VIEW OF THE
UNITED STATES:
• better future
• better opportunities from their home land
• differ in culture, race and language but they don't see the adaptation in to this country as an
oppression for their culture when adapting to the American Society.
• experience problems at school when they arrived due to polices and practices , because of
language and cultural differences but this are not long term problems.
• face discrimination but they think is temporarely because they dont speak the language or because
they are unaware of the American culture.
• compare their status or economical situation in their home land and encourage their children to do
good in school to have better future.
• Their children grow up hearing stories of their parents and family situations in their parents home
land and children understand the concept of the importance of education.
• Believe that in order to "make it"they have to work hard and get a good education
• trust the school system
• flexible to changes to enter the mainstream of the American Society.
 INVOLUNTARY IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR VIEW
OF THE UNITED STATES:
• were made part of the USA against their will
• feel that were force by Americans to be residents
• long term difficulties in culture and language and do less well in school
• compared their schools as bad due to discrimination and offering better education than white
communities
• there is not back home comparison
• they are more susceptible to critizice the school system curriculum
• Believe in education to "make it" in the country but they have also experienced
discrimination in the work force, they know that getting a good job might not be possible after
getting a good education
• since they have a long history of discrimination they see school as suspicious and that the
system would not be fair in the way they teach their children compared to the white children.
• Believe that by adapting to the English language is being impose by Americans in their way of
talking.
 THE PROCESS OF ADAPTATION

• It is important for immigrant adolescents to develop self-concept,

Erikson's theory suggest that by the adolescent stage they establish
their identity as part of the self. This self-identity leads to
psychological sense of well-being can also lead to a period of crisis,
when they face the social environment including home and school
as an impediment of reaching their goal.
 STAGES OF ADAPTATION
• Silent stage
– this is when the children experience the school culture as different from
their own and when their inability to communicate with peers is caused by
language or cultural difference. Children tend to have mood changes, they
are afraid even terrified to talk to others around them even when they want
to.
• Culture shock
– Culture shock comes from loosing all the familiar signs and symbols, and
cultures. Anxiety tends to build up and emotions tend to mix because
everything they once knew is unfamiliar. In order for immigrant children to
overcome this stage they need to stay connected with their culture while
little by little learn the cues of the new culture.
 LANGUAGE BARRIER

• shortage of teachers specially trained to teach Learning

English Programs and to teach math, science or social
science.
 CHRONIC ABSENCES:
• According to Kamala D. Harris, California Attorney General in a study report
made of 2016:

– 7% of children in ESL classes were absent the same as children in the low income
and homeless rank.

– 55% Hispanics were suspended on their overall enrollment

 HOW CAN MINORITY SCHOOL
PERFORMANCE IMPROVE?
• Schools are key in promoting education making parents understand that going
to school it is important on the child's success
• Being able to communicate with immigrant and diverse families that may be
unaware of the U.S norms
• Hire more personnel that speak the more needed language based on their
population to educate the community.
 HOW CAN TEACHERS HELP?
• It is a teachers responsibility to help immigrant children with the new while they retain the
old.
– New: language, systems, culture
– Old: language, culture
• It is important for teachers to understand the importance of seeing and listening to the
children
– understanding their roots (language)
– cultures
– and to accept the importance of their belonging.
• Teachers can help children through the silent stage by helping them in different ways to
communicate.
– Doing so verbally
– in writing
– through art.
 HOW CAN TEACHERS HELP (CONT)
• Teachers can help children through their culture shock by:
– incorporating activities,
– Games
– lessons that incorporate their past culture and language
• Teachers need to understand the cause of the shock the child is
going through and identify what type of support they need to
provide.
THE END