Immigrant children in the age of educational reform

Abstract

Immigrant children are the fastest growing subgroup among United States schoolchildren today. This paper explores how the new testing movement affects these students, many of which are English language learners.The passage of new federal laws mandating that all students be tested within one year of entrance into a U.S. school is refuted by long standing research. Studies have demonstrated that it takes five to seven years for students to attain the academic language necessary to achieve success in educational settings.This paper explores the instructional program options for immigrant students and advocates for changes in the current testing protocol for them.

Keywords:

• Immigrant students
• English language learners
• Testing
• Common Core Standards
• Bilingual

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Audrey Figueroa Murphy

Audrey Figueroa Murphy, is an Associate Professor of TESOL and Bilingual Education at St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439;

Her research focuses on the models and methods of ELL instruction, and the impact of educational reform initiatives on ESL and Bilingual teachers and their students.