Immigrant Achievement, School Factors, and Third Generation Isolation: Evidence From PISA 2012

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Immigrant and Migrant Student Experiences and Academic Achievement

Abstract

In this study, we examined the relationship between mathematics achievement and student and school factors for immigrant students and their third generation and higher peers using the data from PISA 2012. We investigated the role that school demographics and access to resources (qualified math teachers, class size, etc.) play in the immigrant achievement gap. We found that the immigrant achievement gap is more pronounced for first generation immigrants. We also found that the achievement gap is mediated by students’ demographic and socio-economic status. In addition, we identified schools that serve third generation and higher students only and compared these schools with schools that serve immigrant students and found that two types of schools are significantly different in their demographic composition.

Authors

• Margarita Pivovarova, Arizona State University - Tempe

• Jeanne M. Powers, Arizona State University