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The schooling of children of immigrants: contextual effects on the educational attainment of the second generation.

ABSTRACT: We supplement earlier published findings on the academic achievement of the immigrant second generation with an analysis of school contextual effects based on the same large data set used by the best-known prior analyses, the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study. A hierarchical model of contextual and individual-level effects on academic achievement and school attrition reveals patterns that reproduce those found in national student surveys but also others that are unique to the second generation. Among the latter are the resilient negative effect of length of U.S. residence on achievement across school contexts and the fact that strong effects of national origin on grades are attenuated in schools with high proportions of coethnics. Mexican-origin students display significant disadvantages in achievement and retention that are generally compounded, not alleviated, by the schools that they attend. A theoretical explanation of this pattern is advanced, and its practical implications are discussed.

SUBMITTER: Portes A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC514409 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The schooling of children of immigrants: contextual effects on the educational attainment of the second generation.

Portes Alejandro A Hao Lingxin L

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20040702 33

We supplement earlier published findings on the academic achievement of the immigrant second generation with an analysis of school contextual effects based on the same large data set used by the best-known prior analyses, the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study. A hierarchical model of contextual and individual-level effects on academic achievement and school attrition reveals patterns that reproduce those found in national student surveys but also others that are unique to the second gene ...[more]

PMID: 15235126

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Project description:BackgroundThe accurate measurement of educational attainment is of great importance for population research. Past studies measuring average years of schooling rely on strong assumptions to incorporate binned data. These assumptions, which we refer to as the standard duration method, have not been previously evaluated for bias or accuracy.MethodsWe assembled a database of 1,680 survey and census datasets, representing both binned and single-year education data. We developed two models that split bins of education into single year values. We evaluate our models, and compare them to the standard duration method, using out-of-sample predictive validity.ResultsOur results indicate that typical methods used to split bins of educational attainment introduce substantial error and bias into estimates of average years of schooling, as compared to new approaches. Globally, the standard duration method underestimates average years of schooling, with a median error of -0.47 years. This effect is especially pronounced in datasets with a smaller number of bins or higher true average attainment, leading to irregular error patterns between geographies and time periods. Both models we developed resulted in unbiased predictions of average years of schooling, with smaller average error than previous methods. We find that one approach using a metric of distance in space and time to identify training data, had the best performance, with a root mean squared error of mean attainment of 0.26 years, compared to 0.92 years for the standard duration algorithm.ConclusionsEducation is a key social indicator and its accurate estimation should be a population research priority. The use of a space-time distance bin-splitting model drastically improved the estimation of average years of schooling from binned education data. We provide a detailed description of how to use the method and recommend that future studies estimating educational attainment across time or geographies use a similar approach.

Project description:BackgroundAmblyopia is a neurodevelopmental condition resulting in reduced vision for which whole population child vision screening is undertaken. Cross-sectional studies have established an association between amblyopia and lower academic self-concept, slower reading speed. No difference has been found in educational performance in adolescence whilst there are mixed associations with educational attainment in adults. Educational trajectories and intentions have not been studied previously. We analyse if those treated for amblyopia have different educational performance and trajectories for core subjects during statutory schooling, or subsequent higher education (university) intentions than their peers without eye conditions.Methods and findingsData from the Millennium Cohort Study of children born in the United Kingdom in 2000-01 and followed-up to age 17 years (n = 9989). Using a validated approach drawing on parental self-report on eye conditions and treatment coded by clinical reviewers, participants were grouped into mutually exclusive categories: no eye conditions, strabismus alone, refractive amblyopia, strabismic/mixed (refractive plus strabismic) amblyopia. The outcomes were levels and trajectories of passing English, Maths, Science at ages 7-16 years, passing national exams at age 16, and intentions at ages 14-17 to pursue higher (university) education. Adjusted analyses showed that amblyopia status was not associated with performance in English, Maths, and Science at any key stage, attainment in national exams, or intending to go to university. Similarly, the age-related trajectories of performance in core subjects and higher education intentions did not differ between the groups. There were no significant differences in main reason for having or not having university intentions.ConclusionsWe found no associations between a history of amblyopia and either adverse performance or age-related attainment trajectories in core subjects during key stages of statutory schooling as well as the absence of an association with intentions for higher education. These results should be reassuring to affected children and young people, and their families, teachers and physicians.

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Dataset Information

The schooling of children of immigrants: contextual effects on the educational attainment of the second generation.

Publications

The schooling of children of immigrants: contextual effects on the educational attainment of the second generation.

Similar Datasets

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