E.g., 04/24/2024
E.g., 04/24/2024
National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy

National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy

Immigrant Profiles & Demographics
Education
Immigrant Integration
Integration Policy
Language Access
Adult Education & Language Learning
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Policy Briefs
April 2024

Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families through Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Services

Young girl talks to a child psychologist
iStock.com/Lacheev

Infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) services can offer vital support for young children’s healthy development. Yet, young children in immigrant and refugee families often do not benefit, due in part to lower levels of health-care coverage and limited cultural responsiveness in the field. This issue brief explores the benefits and barriers to supporting these children via IECMH services, and some ways to close key gaps.

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Reports
January 2024

Refining State Accountability Systems for English Learner Success

A high school student answers a math problem on a whiteboard
Allison Shelley/EDUimages

State accountability systems are designed to identify and close student achievement gaps. Yet most do not report and interpret English Learner (EL) outcomes in a way that paints a full picture of how different instructional services have contributed to academic development. This report sketches a vision for reimagined accountability systems that can support better understanding of ELs’ learning and inform school improvement strategies.

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Reports
November 2023

The Unmet Potential of Community Consultations in U.S. Refugee Resettlement

Young woman speaks to other participants at a meeting
iStock.com/SDI Productions

As humanitarian migrant arrivals in the United States increase, via refugee resettlement and channels such as temporary parole, communication between the national, state, and local actors involved in supporting their reception and integration is critical. This report examines the goals and design of quarterly resettlement consultations, as well as opportunities to refine these processes to boost their impact and relevance in a changing policy landscape.

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Fact Sheets
October 2023

Recent Immigrant Children: A Profile of New Arrivals to U.S. Schools

A third grader raises her hand in class
Allison Shelley/EDUimages

A significant increase in the number of immigrant children in U.S. schools over the last decade has challenged K-12 educators to expand their capacity to serve students with different backgrounds and educational needs. This fact sheet sketches a profile of recently arrived immigrant children, presenting data on top states of residence, national origins, household characteristics, and more.

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Policy Briefs
October 2023

Leveraging Data to Ensure Equitable and Effective Adult Skills Programming for Immigrants

Adult immigrant students work together in an English class
iStock.com/shironosov

Immigrants make significant contributions to the U.S. economy and social fabric, but many also face barriers to integration. Adult education and workforce development programs offer services intended to help address such challenges yet can be mismatched to immigrants' needs. This issue brief sketches a profile of U.S.-born and immigrant adults, highlighting key similarities and differences relevant to the design of adult skills programs.

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Policy Briefs
July 2023

ESSER: Moving the Needle on Equitable and Adequate Education Funding for English Learners

4th and 5th grade students working on posters
Allison Shelley/EDUimages

The pandemic and move to remote learning affected students across the United States, and certain groups—including the nation’s 5 million English Learners (ELs)—were hit particularly hard. At the same time, the federal government made unprecedented investments in public K-12 education to counter the pandemic’s adverse impacts. This issue brief explores the ways school districts have invested these funds to support ELs.

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_BoyLearning

Featured

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) includes a number of new requirements for the education of English Learners (ELs), including standardized criteria for identifying EL students and inclusion of English proficiency as a measurement of school quality. Resources on this page can help inform decisions such as how quickly schools must improve and how states can intervene with struggling districts.

_LearnEnglish

Featured

The English Language Learner (ELL) Information Center provides informative fact sheets, maps, and state-level data resources that chronicle the demography and trends of immigrant families and their children.

Recent Activity

Cover image for Changing the Playbook
Reports
July 2022
Changing the Playbook: Immigrants and the COVID-19 Response in Two U.S. Communities
By  Randy Capps and Michael Fix
Cover image for Immigrant Children’s Medicaid and CHIP Access brief
Policy Briefs
June 2022
Immigrant Children’s Medicaid and CHIP Access and Participation: A Data Profile
By  Valerie Lacarte
Image of two students in a classroom, one with a laptop
Commentaries
June 2022
How State Assessments Became and Remain a Driver for Equity for English Learners
By  Melissa Lazarin
Image of women smiling on hike
Articles
June 17, 2022
Growing State and Local Role in U.S. Immigration Policy Affects Sense of Belonging for Newcomers and Natives Alike
By Tomás R. Jiménez, Deborah J. Schildkraut, Yuen J. Huo, and John F. Dovidio
Multimedia
May 17, 2022
Testing Disrupted: Assessment of English Learners Complicated by Pandemic
Cover image for English Learner Testing during the Pandemic
Reports
May 2022
English Learner Testing during the Pandemic: An Early Readout and Look Ahead
By  Melissa Lazarin
Cover image Cultural Competency Secrets to Success with Immigrant and Refugee Families
Policy Briefs
May 2022
Cultural Competency Secrets to Success with Immigrant and Refugee Families: Spreading and Adapting 2Gen Working Practices
By  Chris Estes, Devin Deaton, Aparna Jayashankar and Margie McHugh
Cover image for Growing Language Skills with Immigrant and Refugee Families: Spreading and Adapting
Policy Briefs
May 2022
Growing Language Skills with Immigrant and Refugee Families: Spreading and Adapting 2Gen Working Practices
By  Chris Estes, Devin Deaton, Aparna Jayashankar and Margie McHugh

Pages

Cover image for the Spanish-language parent's guide on English Learner assessments
Fact Sheets
February 2022
Una guía para padres sobre las evaluaciones de estudiantes de inglés
By  Delia Pompa and Jazmin Flores Peña
Cover image for the parent's guide on English Learner assessments
Fact Sheets
February 2022
A Parent’s Guide to English Learner Assessments
By  Delia Pompa and Jazmin Flores Peña
Cover image for The Invisible Work of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregivers and Its Importance for Immigrant and Dual Language Learner Families
Policy Briefs
December 2021
The Invisible Work of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregivers and Its Importance for Immigrant and Dual Language Learner Families
By  Maki Park and Jazmin Flores Peña
Cover image for The Impacts on English Learners of Key State High School Policies and Graduation Requirements
Reports
November 2021
The Impacts on English Learners of Key State High School Policies and Graduation Requirements
By  Julie Sugarman
cover image for A Framework for Language Access: Key Features of U.S. State and Local Language Access Laws and Policies
Reports
October 2021
A Framework for Language Access: Key Features of U.S. State and Local Language Access Laws and Policies
By  Jacob Hofstetter, Margie McHugh and Anna O’Toole
Cover image for Immigrants’ U.S. Labor Market Disadvantage in the COVID-19 Economy: The Role of Geography and Industries of Employment
Policy Briefs
September 2021
Immigrants’ U.S. Labor Market Disadvantage in the COVID-19 Economy: The Role of Geography and Industries of Employment
By  Randy Capps, Jeanne Batalova and Julia Gelatt
Cover image for Immigrant and Other U.S. Workers a Year into the Pandemic: A Focus on Top Immigrant States
Policy Briefs
June 2021
Immigrant and Other U.S. Workers a Year into the Pandemic: A Focus on Top Immigrant States
By  Julia Gelatt, Jeanne Batalova and Christopher Levesque
Cover for Leaving Money on the Table: Persistence of Brain Waste among College-Educated Immigrants
Reports
June 2021
Leaving Money on the Table: The Persistence of Brain Waste among College-Educated Immigrants
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix

Pages

Flickr Alberto G Exam 5843577306_06fd6132f7_c (1)
Video, Audio
June 16, 2020

Addressing Equity Concerns for English Learners: Where Do Native Language Assessments Fit In?

This webchat marks the release of a report examining the role native language assessments play in addressing equity concerns for English Learner (EL) students.

English Learners Photo Credit: KOMUnews
Expert Q&A, Audio
March 11, 2020

Expert Podcast: Understanding How English Learners Count in ESSA Reporting

This podcast features a discussion between MPI's Margie McHugh and Julie Sugarman about how to understand the varying composition of states' English Learner (EL) subgroup under ESSA, and why understanding these technical differences matters when making decisions about how ELs and schools are faring.

Greencard US government
Video, Audio
March 5, 2020

Green Cards and Public Charge: Who Could Be Denied Based on Benefits Use?

On this webinar, MPI experts discussed the public-charge rule and released estimates of the populations that could be deemed ineligible for a green card based on existing benefits use.

flickr KOMUnews Columbia School Board to Discuss English Language Learners Program
Video, Audio
February 12, 2020

An Uneven Landscape: The Differing State Approaches to English Learner Policies under ESSA

Experts share how states have approached Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) implementation, areas where the law and state efforts to support English Learners can be improved, and findings from the compendium, The Patchy Landscape of State English Learner Policies under ESSA. 

flickr Seattle OIRA August 2015 Ready to Work Graduation Celebration Credit Nate Gowdy Photography
Video, Audio
January 23, 2020

Employment Services for Refugees: Leveraging Mainstream U.S. Systems and Funding

On this webinar, experts and state refugee resettlement program leaders discuss activities that can be key parts of a broader strategy for sustaining and improving employment services for refugees, including partnerships with experts in workforce development strategies, access to federal workforce development funding, and other policies and resources.

Pages

Recent Activity

Video, Audio, Webinars
October 22, 2015

Serving Newcomer Immigrant and Refugee Students in Secondary Schools: Comparing U.S. and European Practices

This webinar examines the challenges facing educators and policymakers in Europe and the United States as they attempt to meet the needs of immigrant and refugee students who arrive during their middle and high school years.

Fact Sheets
October 2015

Ten Facts About U.S. Refugee Resettlement

This fact sheet offers some key facts about the U.S. refugee resettlement program, which is the world's largest. It answers key questions such as how refugees fare in the labor market in the United States, how the current refugee admissions ceiling stacks up historically, and the types of screening would-be refugees go through before they are admitted to the United States.

Reports
October 2015

The Academic Engagement of Newly Arriving Somali Bantu Students in a U.S. Elementary School

Refugee students with interrupted or limited formal education (LFE) face particular difficulties in adjusting to U.S. schools. This study illustrates the difficulties faced by Somali Bantu refugee students who came to the United States with no schooling, and the pressures placed on teachers and other staff in a Chicago elementary school.

Video, Audio, Webinars
October 15, 2015

Unaccompanied Child Migrants in the United States: How Are They Faring?

Marking the release of an MPI brief, this webinar examines data on where unaccompanied child migrants are being placed in the United States, how they are faring in immigration courts, what services are available to them, and how U.S. communities are adapting to their arrival.

Policy Briefs
October 2015

Unaccompanied Child Migrants in U.S. Communities, Immigration Court, and Schools

More than 77,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America were released to communities throughout the United States between October 1, 2013 and August 31, 2015. This issue brief examines where these children have been placed in the United States, how they are faring in the immigration court system, and how schools are adapting to their arrival.

Reports
October 2015

The Educational and Mental Health Needs of Syrian Refugee Children

Approximately 40 percent of the 4 million-plus Syrians who have fled the country are under age 12, most encountering disruptions and barriers to their education in countries of first asylum. This report examines the experiences of Syrian refugee children, their educational and mental health needs,and possible responses that governments should consider in resettling this vulnerable population.

Video, Audio, Webinars
October 8, 2015

Variations in In-State Tuition, Financial Aid, and Scholarship Policies for Unauthorized Youth

This webinar discusses the different policies that states have on unauthorized immigrants and in-state tuition, financial aid and other benefits, and the implications for unauthorized immigrant youth seeking two- and four-year college degrees.

Commentaries
October 2015

Mapping the Patchwork of State ‘DREAM Acts’ and Postsecondary Education Policies for Unauthorized Immigrant Youth

Since 2001, 17 states have enacted measures to allow qualified unauthorized immigrant youth to pay resident tuition rates at their postsecondary institutions. Other states, meanwhile, have moved in the opposite direction. This commentary explores the different state approaches and requirements that have resulted in an unsettling policy patchwork.

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