When schools view children of immigrants positively, the students are more likely to form “positive connections with the larger U.S. society.” Conversely, focusing on their lack of English ability or knowledge of U.S. culture during their early years can negatively affect their personal development and academic trajectories, according to Education Week.

Discrimination can take four forms:

• Negative interaction with school staff and peers, including negative comments about children’s accents and impatience with those who struggle to express themselves in English.
• Narrow learning experiences, including tracking children of immigrants in English-as-a-Second-Language classrooms where poorly trained staff focus almost exclusively on basic English-literacy tasks.
• Low educational expectations that may lead to a decline in academic and social skills.
• Devaluation of primary languages, including negative views of bilingualism, according to Corey Mitchell.

READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/discrimination-at-school-harms-development-of-young-ells-study-says/2015/09