Are Urban Middle Schools Leaving Bright Immigrant Youth Behind?

Abstract

McGinnis draws on the idea of engaged learning as critical and illustrates how school literacy practices do not provide urban Khmer youth (and by extension, other groups whose backgrounds are linguistically or socioculturally distinct) with deep levels of engagement in literacy activities. By looking at the types of writing experiences these youth are offered and asking them directly about their perceptions of their own education, McGinnis has deduced that these children are, in fact, being left behind. She believes that learning about students’ lives outside of the classroom, at home, in their communities, and among their peers will help classroom teachers consider multiple perspectives of literacy and knowledge inside the classroom. Thus, this article aims to support educators in organizing social experiences and interactions within the classroom that are meaningful to all students.