The Importance of School Climate for Immigrant Students

To create truly inclusive and supportive schools, educators must consider the diverse experiences of all students, including those from immigrant backgrounds. By incorporating immigrant perspectives into school climate assessments and improvement efforts, schools can better foster belonging, safety, and academic success for this growing student population.

  • Impact

    School climate significantly impacts students’ sense of belonging, academic achievement, and overall well-being.

  • Perspectives

    Standardized school climate assessments rarely ask about immigrant generation or origin, overlooking the perspectives of these students.

  • Invisible

    Qualitative research reveals that immigrant students often report feeling unsafe, excluded, or invisible in their schools.

  • School Environments

    Growing xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiments are increasingly affecting school environments, making this issue even more pressing.

  • Research Efforts

    The Immigration Initiative at Harvard is currently focusing research efforts on understanding and improving school climate for immigrant origin students.

Immigrant Parents

February 21, 2025/by Andrena Mason

Immigrant Youth

February 21, 2025/by Andrena Mason

School Administrators

February 21, 2025/by Andrena Mason

TO LEARN MORE

climate imageThis educator brief from the Immigration Initiative at Harvard offers practical strategies for educators to improve school climate, including assessing from diverse perspectives, addressing discrimination, cultivating strong relationships, and implementing culturally sustaining approaches. By providing evidence-based recommendations and valuable resources, this guide serves as essential reading for educators and school leaders working with diverse student populations. Learn more here.

RESEARCH UNDERWAY

  • More than a quarter

    Immigrant-origin students represent more than a quarter of all U.S. students, yet their voices and experiences have been largely overlooked in standard school climate assessments. These assessments, used by schools and districts nationwide for improvement planning, often miss crucial aspects of immigrant students’ educational experiences.

  • A Better Measure

    We aim to address this significant gap. We are carefully engaging with immigrant youth, parents, and school administrators to understand how schools can better measure and support immigrant student experiences. Our work includes exploring sensitive and respectful ways to incorporate questions about immigrant origins while ensuring student privacy and safety.

  • conversations

    Through conversations with parents, youth, and school leaders, we are developing recommendations for more inclusive approaches to school climate assessment and improvement. This research seeks to help schools create environments where all students feel valued and supported, leading to better educational outcomes for immigrant-origin students and strengthening school communities overall.