As the number of immigrants and refugees grows in the United States, the linguistic and cultural diversity that comprises the middle grades classroom continues to increase. Given the need for resources and specific attention to linguistic and cultural strategies for these populations, this three-year ethnographic study examined the schooling experiences of young adolescent immigrant and refugee students in a small town located in a rural state. Historically a homogeneous area, in the last decade this community became a multilingual/multicultural setting. This study documented the schooling experiences of participants using ethnographic methods including participant observation, interviews, and document analysis. The data describe how immigrant and refugee students internalized middle grades organizational structures such as teaming and multiage grouping. The findings suggest much variability among the students’ experiences. Implications for researchers center on expanding the current research base in middle grades practice to include a new set of voices, while implications for practitioners focus on creating a safe environment in which immigrants can express themselves and feel comfortable asking for the level of support needed.
Complete ArticlePublished in Research in Middle Level Education Online, 2010
Using research data to support future educational practices is important because it uses real world examples to guide future instruction. I like how this article emphasizes the importance of immigrant students feeling safe in school. The main goal cannot first be to find a way to teach these students the ins and outs of education and school. The students must first develop the more basic communication skills for them to be successful in everyday life. It is also important to ensure students who make speak a different language are getting the proper assistance they need when in an English-speaking classroom. All students cannot be held to the exact same standard if some are developing the skills to even speak the same language as everyone else. Every school in the United States should begin evaluating their ELL accommodations and what services they provide these students with to help their educational growth.