Educational Involvement Among Immigrant and U.S.-Born Families: Antecedents and Trajectories During Elementary School

• In Event: Educational Needs and Experiences of Immigrant Students in the United States

Abstract

As the number of immigrants in the U.S. continues to grow, it is crucial to understand the factors influencing the achievement of their children. Despite the strengths that immigrants bring, their children are at risk to perform worse than their non-immigrant peers academically, and family involvement in children’s education may be one source of support. In this paper, trajectories of parent-reported barriers to involvement and parent involvement activities from kindergarten through grade 5 are presented for a nationally-representative sample of elementary school students, including children from immigrant and US-born families. Of special interest are associations between school-level variables on the trajectories of barriers to involvement and involvement, per se.

Author

• Erin Sibley, Boston College