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Safe-Zone Schools and the Pursuit of Equity for Immigrant Youth

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Safe-Zone Schools and the Pursuit of Equity for Immigrant Youth
Language: English
Authors: Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes, José R. Bucheli, William T. Grant Foundation
Source: William T. Grant Foundation. 2026.
Availability: William T. Grant Foundation. 570 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022. Tel: 212-752-0071; Fax: 212-752-1398; e-mail: info@wfgrantfdn.org; Web site: http://wtgrantfoundation.org/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 9
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Descriptors: Immigrants, Hispanic American Students, Low Income Groups, Equal Education, Achievement Gap, Racial Differences, Ethnicity, Blacks, Attendance, Graduation Rate, African American Students, School Safety, Immigration, Law Enforcement
Geographic Terms: California
Abstract: California boasts the largest economy in the country, yet it also ranks among the most unequal states. These inequalities are especially acute in the Central and Imperial Valley regions, where large Hispanic, immigrant, and low-income communities contend with entrenched barriers to educational opportunity. Despite statewide reforms to address inequity, gaps persist. Drawing on more than a decade of student-level data, the authors find that Hispanic students in these regions score five to six percentiles lower on English language arts and math standardized tests than their White peers. Black students face even steeper gaps, trailing by nearly 11 percentile points. These disparities grow more pronounced in middle and high school, as academic trajectories solidify and future opportunities narrow. The disparities extend beyond test scores, with Hispanic, Black, and economically disadvantaged students exhibiting higher absenteeism and lower graduation rates (Amuedo-Dorantes & Bucheli, 2024). These gaps are not abstract figures; they reflect lost opportunities for students and communities and signal a profound loss of human potential. As home to one of the largest and youngest immigrant-origin student populations in the nation, California cannot afford to allow such disparities to persist.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED680496
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:California boasts the largest economy in the country, yet it also ranks among the most unequal states. These inequalities are especially acute in the Central and Imperial Valley regions, where large Hispanic, immigrant, and low-income communities contend with entrenched barriers to educational opportunity. Despite statewide reforms to address inequity, gaps persist. Drawing on more than a decade of student-level data, the authors find that Hispanic students in these regions score five to six percentiles lower on English language arts and math standardized tests than their White peers. Black students face even steeper gaps, trailing by nearly 11 percentile points. These disparities grow more pronounced in middle and high school, as academic trajectories solidify and future opportunities narrow. The disparities extend beyond test scores, with Hispanic, Black, and economically disadvantaged students exhibiting higher absenteeism and lower graduation rates (Amuedo-Dorantes & Bucheli, 2024). These gaps are not abstract figures; they reflect lost opportunities for students and communities and signal a profound loss of human potential. As home to one of the largest and youngest immigrant-origin student populations in the nation, California cannot afford to allow such disparities to persist.