Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees - GCIR

 Children in immigrant families account for nearly one-fourth (24 percent) of all children as of 2010, and the vast majority (88 percent) are U.S. citizens. In fact, children of immigrants account for nearly the entire growth in the U.S. child population between 1990 and 2008.1 This policy brief draws on key indicators from the Foundation for Child Development Child Well-Being Index (CWI), as well as additional data, to highlight both similarities and differences in the circumstances of children in immigrant and native-born families.

More than one in ten of all preK-12 students in the U.S.—totaling over 5.3 million children—are English Language Learners (ELLs), yet common assumptions about this fast-growing population are often incorrect. The majority of young ELLs are not immigrants: over 75 percent of ELL elementary students were born in the U.S. Although the largest ELL groups are in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Arizona, ELLs are a growing presence throughout the country, with the fastest growing ELL populations in South Carolina, Indiana, Nevada, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia and Delaware. And many of America’s schools are not yet able to serve these millions of students effectively. The report underscores what school leaders, policymakers and funders can do to improve instruction and supports for these students.

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) holds every state, district, and school accountable for students’ academic progress. It also revealed the extent to which schools have failed non-English-speaking students by requiring states and districts for the first time to disaggregate their reading and math scores on annual assessments. The large achievement gap has moved educators, scholars, and policymakers to try urgently to reverse decades of neglect, even as the scale of the challenge is growing exponentially. This brief spotlights major issues facing those taking up this challenge and offers them emerging policy solutions. The primary focus will be on the 75 percent of ELLs who speak Spanish, and who are believed by scholars to be at high risk for school failure.

Illinois' English education system is broken. ESL enrollments are falling, funding is shrinking, and students are not gaining the English skills they need to fully contribute to our economy and society. ICIRR's new report, Empty Promises: The Unmet Need for English Instruction Across Illinois, documents these failures, but also points to successful community initiatives that are helping immigrant learners move forward. Our state needs a new vision and new investment in English to build the coherent effective adult education system that will prepare our state for the 21st century economy.

The report was underwritten through the generous support of the Joyce Foundation.

This funders' guide provides a road map for building and strengthening immigrant civic integration infrastructure in local communities to assist the more than 8.5 million lawful permanent residents presently eligible to become citizens, the 2.8 million who will soon gain eligibility, and the estimated 12 million undocumented newcomers who may be able to apply for legal status and citizenship should Congress adopt federal immigration reform in the future. The guide delineates steps to identify community needs, resources, and opportunities; describes high-quality, ESL programs and strategies for improving instruction; offers an overview of the citizenship application process and recommends strategies for supporting naturalization-related efforts; and demonstrates how collaboration among funders can increase the availability of quality ESL instruction, legal services, and naturalization assistance.

Dual-language programs for children aged three to eight may be better than English-only programs for the cognitive, academic, social, and cultural development of children who speak a language other than English at home.

Dual-language programs for children age three to eight may be better than English-only programs for the cognitive, academic, social, and cultural development of children who speak a language other than English at home.