Rethinking "(Under)Performance" for Black English Speakers: Beyond Achievement to Opportunity

• In Event: Critical Issues in Literacy Research 5

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to characterize the language self-identification and difference of U.S. Black native and immigrant youth in reading literacy performance on the PISA 2012 assessment. Almost all Black native youth identified themselves as native English speakers compared to a moderate number of the Black immigrant youth. The average score of reading literacy for all U.S. Black students was lower than the U.S. average literacy score. Among all Black students, NS outperformed NNS on reading literacy. Black immigrant youth achieved higher scores than Black native youth, Black native youth had significantly lower scores of reading literacy than Black immigrant youth, and NS Black immigrant youth had significantly higher scores of reading literacy than NS Black native youth.

Authors

• Paul Frazier, Texas Tech University

• Patriann Smith, Texas Tech University

• Arlette I. Willis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Jaehoon Lee, Texas Tech University

• Rong Chang, University of Houston