Immigrant High School Dropouts - Annotated Bibliography Example

Immigrant High School Dropouts Immigrant High School Dropouts Introduction School dropout rates in the United s have caused a controversy surrounding the real causes of dropouts. Notably, dropout rates are remarkably high among immigrants residing in the United States. The fact that immigrants register such alarming rates of high school dropouts necessitates a more specific research in a bid to understand the unique factors that motivate children born to immigrants to drop out of school before completion. Understanding the factors that contribute to school dropouts among immigrants is a critical step in the development of effective strategies for addressing the issue. Although general statistics indicate that high school dropout is higher among immigrants, statistics that are more specific reveal that some ethnic communities migrating into the American territory are more likely to drop out of school compared to other racial subgroups. This introduces a further need of understanding the unique factors that define the lives of the immigrants if the real reasons for school dropouts are to be identified. Different researchers have focused on carrying out studies that define the different factors contributing to school dropout. A close analysis of different studies carried out by various researchers can provide highlights on some of the critical factors that cause school dropouts. The different research studies that will be considered as credible sources for this research handle the different research question. Although the authors focus on different groups of the immigrants, reviewing their findings can serve to provide relevant information in highlighting the significant factors contributing to high rates of school dropouts. In a bid to determine the relevance of each source selected, this annotated bibliography will provide a summary and assessment of the level of credibility of the source and finally a personal reflection on the relevance of the source. De Sousa, S. B., & Gebremedhin, T. (2004). High School Dropouts: Implications for Economic Development in West Virginia. Educational Research Quarterly, 27(4), 23-40. Summary This research article published in 2004 describes a study carried out to determine the significance of school dropouts as one of the critical factors that defined economic development in Virginia. The researchers used ordinary missed squares (OLS), regression method in the study. The significance of school dropouts was compared to that of other economic factors in determining employment rates. The results obtained from the study revealed that increasing school dropout rates did not have any significant rates in the employment rates in the states. The GDP of the state served to contribute to increasing employment rates, according to the findings of the study. Finally, the research identified that increasing rates of compensation to those who are unemployed decreased employment rates. Assessment This research article presents findings that link increasing school dropouts to employment rates. Its main purpose was to establish the potential effect of school dropouts on the economy of the state. The findings reveal that there is no significant contribution of high school dropouts to decreasing levels of employment. Although these findings do not conform to those of other studies, the article is critical in offering a different view of the issue. Reflection The article relied on quantitative analysis to determine the core relation of school dropout and the economic development, which is a critical consideration in my research. Driscoll, A. K. (1999). Risk of High School Dropout among Immigrant and Native Hispanic Youth. International Migration Review, (4). 857. Summary This source focuses on examining the existing relationship between the immigrant population and the alarming school dropout rates exhibited by the Hispanic students. The research conducted by the author utilized NELS: 88 data set in determining the reasons motivating Hispanic students in the 8th grade to drop out of high school. This research study revealed that causes of school dropouts are similar across different populations in the lower levels of education. However, students in the 8th grade were more likely to drop out of school if they lacked sufficient individual and family resources. Moreover, the research identified that family income and remarkable performance were some of the factors that prevented school dropout. Assessment The article serves as a credible source for this research because the research question addressed is related to Hispanic youths, which are part of the immigrant community. The fact that it explains a set of factors that motivate students to drop out of school makes it a comprehensive source, which augments others. Reflection It is intriguing that a similar set of factors determines school dropout in the early years of education. On the other end, the author presents new information that eighth graders were likely to drop out of school if they lacked individual or family resources. Economic stability emerged as a critical factor contributing to school dropouts. Griffin, B. W. (2002). Academic Disidentification, Race, and High School Dropouts. High School Journal, 85(4), 71-81. Summary This article seeks to identify the effect of academic disidentification on the increasing rates of school dropouts. It focused on comparing the level of disindentification between a group of black and Hispanic students and a group of Asian and White students. The purpose of the research was to determine whether students feeling misidentified were likely to withdraw from school. The study focused on high schools in Florida. The findings of the study highlighted that black and Hispanic students exhibited the highest level of academic disidentification compared to Asians and white students. Such high levels of disidentification prompted them to drop out of school. Assessment This article is a credible source for the research on the factors contributing to high school dropouts among immigrants because it assesses the relevance of the disidentification hypothesis. The fact that it highlights a high level of disidentification among the immigrant students shows that it supports findings from other studies. Reflection It is true that immigrant students are more likely to experience disidentification from academics. Although the research does not highlight what causes the disidentification, it reveals that such withdrawal from academics eventually leads to dropouts. However, disidentification was not highlighted among the Asian students, which happened to be immigrant students as well. Perreira, K. M., Harris, K., & Dohoon, L. (2006). Making It in America: High School Completion by Immigrant and Native Youth. Demography, (3). 511. doi:10.1353/dem.2006.0026. Summary The authors of this article sought to determine the trends exhibited by different generations of immigrants and native youths when it comes to education. The authors utilized data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The research considered different populations of immigrants and native youths such as the Hispanic, Asian, and the African Americans. Successful analysis of the data obtained from the study revealed that the first generation of the immigrant population valued education and registered a higher likelihood of completing high school. However, a close analysis of the second and third generations served to highlight that students became less focused on education. The authors associated differences in dropout rates with unique factors such as cultural, human, and social capital. The first generation is motivated to work hard and complete high school because they have a high level of optimism for a better future. The availability of social and human capital serves to enhance completion of high school among the immigrant groups while cultural capital promoted school dropouts. Assessment This article is of great relevance to the research topic and the findings from the study are similar to those highlighted by other researchers. Reflection It is surprising to note that first generation students born to immigrant parents are more likely to complete high school because of their optimism. Advanced research is needed to determine the causes of the loss of focus and optimism exhibited by the second and third generations. Saenz, R., & Siordia, C. (2012). The inter-cohort reproduction of Mexican American dropouts. Race And Social Problems, 4 (1), 68-81. doi:10.1007/s12552-012-9062-x. Summary This research study published in 2012 sought to examine a dropout hypothesis as well as numerous other hypotheses, which explain why the Mexican American population registers the highest level of high school dropouts in America. The authors give attention to some of the problems encountered by researchers who seek to explain why high school dropouts are ever increasing. The research utilized data from Public Use Microdata Sample. Notably, the research compared inter-cohort reproduction of the defined dropout hypotheses. Analysis of data from the study revealed that there was an evident association between inter-cohort dropout levels. This meant that native-born Mexican Americans of the age bracket 41-49 cohort registered the highest level of high school dropouts compared to the younger Mexican American cohorts. Assessment This article is relevant to the research topic because it examines trends of high school dropouts in the Mexican American population. The research question it addresses is of critical importance because this population registers the highest percentage of high school dropouts. The article is unique because it outlines the potential challenges that prevent accurate definition of school dropout. Reflection The article highlights how different cohorts of the Mexican American population serve to reproduce the dropout hypothesis. It reveals the alarming trends of high school dropouts in this ethnic community. Suhyun, S., & Jingyo, S. (2011). Changing Pattern and Process of High School Dropouts between 1980s and 2000s. Educational Research Quarterly, 34(4), 3-13. Summary These studies sought to understand the factors that contributed to declining rates of high school dropouts in the years between 1980s and 2000s. This was because previous researchers had highlighted that dropout levels had been declining in those three decades. The authors relied on decomposition analysis in a bid to determine the explained change and the unexplained change, which define school dropouts. The authors had a conviction that identifying factor that resulted in the decline of school dropouts would serve to highlight what had caused it in the first place. The authors relied on two cohort surveys of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). This research revealed that the common explanations defining school dropouts had minimal impact on the declining levels. However, the research also identified that social economic factor, coupled with both personal and familial factors significantly contributed to the increasing dropout levels. Assessment This proves to be a reliable source because the research question addressed by the authors proves to be relevant to the topic of study. Moreover, the research study conducted adopted unique methodology in addressing the research question. This makes it a unique source, which augments the findings from other studies. Reflection It appears that the decline in school dropout levels that occurred in the 1980s to the 2000s did not result from some factors considered as common explanations. However, the study highlighted some central aspects that contribute to school dropout among immigrants such as social economic factors. Lew, J. (2004). The Other Story of Model Minorities: Korean American High School Dropouts in an Urban Context. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, (3). 303. doi:10.1525/aeq.2004.35.3.303. Summary This research article published in 2004 sought to analyze how different social economic backgrounds as well as the social capital affected the Korean American students limiting their academic achievements. Korean American students form part of the immigrant student population. The study also considered the significance of school resources in determining the kind of aspirations exhibited by the Korean American students. The article reveals that Korean American youths have limited social and economic support, a factor that sidelines them from other ethnic communities. This sidelining introduces a class boundary. Therefore, Korean American youths choose to oppose the cultural frame of resilience and are more prone to dropping out of school. This is because they resist educational institutions and their attitudes do not contribute to academic success. Assessment The article proves to be a worthwhile source on the topic of study because it addresses a research question similar to the research topic. Korean American students form part of the immigrant students, and understanding why they are likely to drop out of school addresses the research topic as well. The fact that the author mentions socioeconomic factors as contributors of increasing school dropout rate shows conformity to other studies by different authors. Reflection Immigrant students are more likely to adopt a culture of opposition, which compromises their success in education and limits their aspirations. This is the typical case described among the Korean American youths. Watkinson, J., & Hersi, A. (2014). School Counselors Supporting African Immigrant Students Career Development: A Case Study. Career Development Quarterly, 62(1), 44-55. doi:10.1002/j.2161-0045.2014.00069.x. Summary This research article sought to analyze the role played by school counselors in encouraging African immigrant students to register a remarkable performance and ensure that they complete high school. The authors acknowledge the presence of complex variables with the potential of serving as barriers in education. Therefore, the role of school counselors comes in to motivate the African immigrant students to have higher academic goals. The research article focuses on a Somali immigrant student and her journey through different academic institutions. The Somali student attends school in the United States and has unique cultural experiences. From the research, it emerged that school counselors who provided support to the immigrant students reduced the levels of school dropouts. On the other hand, teachers who did not bother to understand the unique cultural experiences of different students were more likely to motivate school dropouts. Assessment This article proves to be relevant to the research topic identified. The fact that other authors have tackled other immigrant populations explains why this source was selected to describe the issue of school dropouts in high school. From the article, the role of school counselors is emphasized, a factor which should motivate schools to have support systems for immigrant students. Reflection The article highlights a critical factor, which other authors have not given attention. I believe that competitive teachers should offer the relevant support to immigrant populations if they are so succeed and complete high school. Wayman, J. C. (2002). Student Perceptions of Teacher Ethnic Bias: A Comparison of Mexican American and Non-Latino White Dropouts and Students. High School Journal, 85(3), 27. Summary This research study published in 2002 sought to determine the significance of student alienation from the school setting as a principal contributor of the increasing school dropouts. Evidently, the authors identify that student alienation from the school not only caused dropouts, but also compromised teacher student relationships. Therefore, the author carried out a study to determine how students perceived actions of teachers and how they related them to ethnic bias. Notably, the author had realized that teachers had the tendency of treating students from different ethnic backgrounds differently. It emerged from previous studies that the perception exhibited by students towards the way in which teachers treated them had the potential of causing school dropout. However, previous studies had not identified the specific prevalence of such perceptions. In this study, the author relied on a large-scale database that had a collection of information concerning the school dropouts. It compared how students perceived bias exhibited by teachers among Mexican American students and non-Latinos. The research revealed that such student perceptions contributed to dropouts although they were not frequent occurrences. Assessment This research article proves to be a credible source because its findings are based on primary research. The research question addressed in the article is relevant to the research being carried out on identifying factors that contribute to school dropouts among immigrants. Reflection In my opinion, it is possible that students perceiving a form of bias exhibited by the teachers will feel alienated from the school and choose to drop out. Therefore, this source is informative. Conclusion Evidently, dropping out of school is an undesirable thing by many parents. However, the immigrant populations in America have proved to be more prone to dropping out of school before they complete high school. Although school dropout levels became significantly lower in the years between the 1980s and 2000s, it still requires addressing. Immigrant populations still register alarming rates of failing to complete high school. It emerges that different factors contribute to the dropping out of school among many immigrant populations. Understanding the causes of school dropouts should serve as the initial step of addressing these issues. From the sources reviewed, factors such as social economic aspects, the availability of social capital, teacher bias based on ethnicity, and academic disidentification are some of the leading contributors to school dropouts. It is intriguing to realize that the first generations of many immigrant generations were the only ones who exhibited the required level of resilience while the second and third generations registered high levels of school dropouts. There is a need for advanced research to explain the occurrence of this trend. All the sources highlighted above exhibit a measure of relevance to the identified research topic, explaining why they will be used in the development of the final paper. References De Sousa, S. B., & Gebremedhin, T. (2004). High School Dropouts: Implications for Economic Development in West Virginia. Educational Research Quarterly, 27(4), 23-40. Driscoll, A. K. (1999). Risk of High School Dropout among Immigrant and Native Hispanic Youth. International Migration Review, (4). 857. Griffin, B. W. (2002). Academic Disidentification, Race, and High School Dropouts. High School Journal, 85(4), 71-81. Perreira, K. M., Harris, K., & Dohoon, L. (2006). Making It in America: High School Completion by Immigrant and Native Youth. Demography, (3). 511. doi:10.1353/dem.2006.0026. Saenz, R., & Siordia, C. (2012). The inter-cohort reproduction of Mexican American dropouts. Race And Social Problems, 4 (1), 68-81. doi:10.1007/s12552-012-9062-x. Suhyun, S., & Jingyo, S. (2011). Changing Pattern and Process of High School Dropouts between 1980s and 2000s. Educational Research Quarterly, 34(4), 3-13. Lew, J. (2004). The Other Story of Model Minorities: Korean American High School Dropouts in an Urban Context. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, (3). 303. doi:10.1525/aeq.2004.35.3.303. Watkinson, J., & Hersi, A. (2014). School Counselors Supporting African Immigrant Students Career Development: A Case Study. Career Development Quarterly, 62(1), 44-55. doi:10.1002/j.2161-0045.2014.00069.x. Wayman, J. C. (2002). Student Perceptions of Teacher Ethnic Bias: A Comparison of Mexican American and Non-Latino White Dropouts and Students. High School Journal, 85(3), 27. Read More