Publications by Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj
The compatibility of school choice policies and educational equity goals is one of the most hotly... more The compatibility of school choice policies and educational equity goals is one of the most hotly debated issues in education today. Yet, despite the growing population of children of immigrants in U.S. schools, limited research exists on the relationship between parental nativity and participation in school choice from an equity perspective. This article explores the tensions and alignment between school choice and equity through an examination of children of Latin American immigrants’ search for and decisions about high schools in the context of a compulsory choice policy. Drawing on nearly two years of ethnographic data collected at one New York City public middle school and interviews with 26 first and second generation children of low-income immigrants from across Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, I illuminate some of challenges that Latino immigrant-origin students faced in understanding how to select appropriate, quality high schools. Using these findings, I analyze the ways in which the design and implementation of New York City’s mandatory high school choice policy hindered its equity potential and offer recommendations for its improvement.
States-is widely touted as a strategy for addressing educational inequity. Yet efforts to impleme... more States-is widely touted as a strategy for addressing educational inequity. Yet efforts to implement school choice can exacerbate, rather than counteract, inequities. Unaccompanied Minors takes a close look at the experience of immigrant students and their families who are navigating New York City's mandatory high school choice program.
Analysts of charter school reform have recently begun to investigate the enrollment patterns of s... more Analysts of charter school reform have recently begun to investigate the enrollment patterns of special student populations, namely, low-income students, students classified as special education, and those with English language learner status. Using 3 recent years of data from the New York State School Report Cards and analyzing the charter population at the school level, the authors found that English language learners are consistently underrepresented in charter school populations across 3 academic years. Conversely, students who qualify for reduced-price lunch are overrepresented and students eligible for free lunch are approximately proportionally represented. This gap in enrollments of English language learners is confirmed by comparing to a population estimate drawn from data from the 2006–2008 American Community Survey. These patterns remain generally constant for all school years observed, but the distribution changes slightly as the total number of charter schools operating in New York City increased between 2005–2006 and 2007–2008.
Schools the world over are being transformed by growing numbers of immigrant-origin children. As ... more Schools the world over are being transformed by growing numbers of immigrant-origin children. As schools face the challenge of educating linguistically, culturally, and racially diverse students, globalization imposes yet another set of demands on education. In this article we examine the varied pathways taken by immigrant-origin children. We outline some of the most critical contributors shaping their transition to new countries with a specific focus on education and schooling and explore some promising practices in a variety of national contexts and domains of immigrant life.
This paper explores the role of home-school conflicts in the educational failure of children of L... more This paper explores the role of home-school conflicts in the educational failure of children of Latin American immigrants and examines how these conflicts have been framed and understood in the existing research literature. It argues that structural analyses of barriers to educational attainment alone fail to capture the multiplicity of forces that contribute to negative academic outcomes. Instead, understanding this phenomenon requires a fusion of structural and cultural analytic perspectives that take into account school-based factors such as pedagogical styles, policies, and norms and the ways in which students' cultures interact with these institutional arrangements. The author starts by reviewing some of the most serious structural barriers in the lives of children of Latin American immigrants: poverty, segregation, and limited English proficiency. Then, she examines key research on the factors associated with the poor educational outcomes of many of these students. A discussion of some of the major theoretical contributions to the study of educational stratification follows, and the author highlights and analyzes three important examples of home-school conflicts that affect immigrant student outcomes. The paper will close with suggestions for future research and education reforms, including a specific focus on increasing the role of schools in generating students' social capital.
Papers by Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj
The Ross School Model and Education for the Global Era, 2010
Books by Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj
Matching Students to Opportunity expands on the discussion of a critical issue in college access ... more Matching Students to Opportunity expands on the discussion of a critical issue in college access and success: the match between prospective students and the colleges in which they enroll. Research indicates that ensuring a good match significantly increases a student's chance of graduating. The contributors to this volume argue that the discussion of college match must be broadened to include students at all levels of achievement—not just the most academically qualified—and must take into consideration dimensions other than academic selectivity, such as geography and price. Drawing on original empirical research, they examine the preferences that shape students' choices and assess their importance in ensuring students' success. They look at institutional practices that contribute to the problem of undermatching, and ask how local, state, and federal policy can help change both the demand and supply sides of the college match equation. Written with policy makers, researchers, and higher education professionals in mind, Matching Students to Opportunity advances the current conversation on college access, match, and completion, and offers a valuable addition to public policy discussions on this timely and urgent topic.
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Publications by Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj
Papers by Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj
Books by Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj