Why and How School Climate Matters for Immigrant-Origin Students: Conceptual Framing and Emerging Evidence

• In Event: School Climate, Student Well-Being, and Engagement

Abstract

Immigrant-origin students are contributing to the rapid diversification of schools across all high-income countries. As school climate research moves forward as an important avenue for school improvement, student achievement and wellbeing, the presence of immigrant origin students has been ignored in this work. We begin by articulating a conceptual framework that considers why and how school climate matters for immigrant origin students. We then present analyses, using structural equation modeling, drawn from 8 schools testing the model. This pilot data suggests that the first-generation students report more negative school climates (less positive relationships and less safety) with implications for school belonging, mediating 3 outcomes—engagement, academic challenge and emotional wellbeing. This emerging evidence suggests important avenues for future research.

Authors

• Carola Suarez-Orozco, Harvard University

• Juan R. Cruz, Harvard University

• Juliana Karras, San Francisco State University