11 Immigrants at School
Immigrant Students at School Easing the Journey towards Integration
Andreas SchleicherDirector for Education and Skills
22 Poverty is not destinyPISA Math skills of 15-year-olds by decile of social backgroundM
exic
oCh
ileGr
eece
Nor
way
Swed
enIc
elan
dIs
rael
Italy
Uni
ted
Stat
esSp
ain
Denm
ark
Luxe
mbo
urg
Aust
ralia
Irela
ndU
nite
d Ki
ngdo
mHu
ngar
yCa
nada
Finl
and
Aust
riaTu
rkey
Liec
hten
stei
nCz
ech
Repu
blic
Esto
nia
Port
ugal
Slov
enia
Slov
ak R
epub
licN
ew Z
eala
ndGe
rman
yN
ethe
rland
sFr
ance
Switz
erla
ndPo
land
Belg
ium
Japa
nM
acao
-Chi
naHo
ng K
ong-
Chin
aKo
rea
Sing
apor
eCh
ines
e Ta
ipei
Shan
ghai
-Chi
na300
325
350
375
400
425
450
475
500
525
550
575
600
625
650
675
Source: PISA 2012
Are our schools prepared to help immigrant students integrate into their new communities?
Even before this latest influx, the population of immigrant students in OECD countries had been growing. In 2012, 11% of 15-year-old students had an immigrant background, on
average across OECD countries. Between 2003 and 2012, the share of immigrant students had grown by between 4 and 6 percentage points in Ireland, Italy and Spain
3
4 Relationship between the percentage of immigrant students and a school system’s average performance in reading
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40350
400
450
500
550
600
512
490509
523
441
516524
505508
483
523
486
538536
424
511
512504518
463
509
475
498
496
394
396410
436
403
Costa Rica
485
545
396
399393
489
516
477
398
422
384
438
475
446
570
542523
441
404411
508
Percentage of 15-year-old immigrant students
PISA Score
1 2
34
5
6
8
9
10
7
No relationship between share of immigrant students and learning
outcomes(even after accounting for disadvantage)
No negative impact of increase in immigration on PISA performance
(2003-2012)
High aspirations
In some countries the share of disadvantaged students who perform among the top quarter of all PISA students is larger among immigrant
students than among non-immigrantsMost immigrant students hold an ambition to succeed that matches, and
sometimes surpasses, the aspirations of families in their host country
5
6 Disadvantaged students who are top performers
Mexico
Costa Rica
Jordan
Kazakh
stan
Icelan
d
Portuga
l
Malaysia
Norway
Spain
New Zeala
nd
Austria
Israe
lLat
via
OECD av
erage
Serbia
Luxembourg
Germany
Liech
tenstein
Switz
erland
Canad
a
Australia
Macao-China
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80Immigrants Non-immigrants%
Percentage of disadvantaged students performing among the top quarter of all students in mathematics, by immigrant status
7 Percentage of first-generation immigrant students with at least one parent as educated as the average parent of non-immigrant students in the host country
Gree
ce
-48.
5
Mex
ico
Unite
d St
ates
Aust
ria
Hong
Kon
g-Ch
ina
-...
Luxe
mbo
urg
-5.
0
Fran
ce
Switz
erla
nd
Denm
ark
Finl
and
Nor
way
Mac
ao-C
hina
-1
8.0
Swed
en
OEC
D av
erag
e 20
03
...
Belg
ium
11
.5
Liec
hten
stei
n
Net
herla
nds
Port
ugal
Aust
ralia
New
Zea
land
-1
6.7
Germ
any
Russ
ian
Fede
ratio
n
...
Irela
nd
-20.
4
Spai
n
Czec
h Re
publ
ic
Italy
Cana
da
6.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90%
There is remarkable cross-country variation in performance between immigrant students and
students without an immigrant background, even after accounting for socio-economic status
Immigrant students’ performance is more strongly (and negatively) associated with the concentration of socio-economic disadvantage in schools than with the concentration of immigrants or of students who speak a different language at home than the language in
which they are taught.
8
9 Immigrant students’ performance in mathematicsM
exic
o
Arge
ntina
Gree
ce
Swed
en
Chile
Finl
and
Denm
ark
Italy
Icel
and
Nor
way
Belg
ium
OEC
D av
erag
e
Aust
ria
Russ
ian
Fede
ratio
n
Isra
el
Net
herla
nds
Czec
h Re
publ
ic
Uni
ted
King
dom
Irela
nd
Shan
ghai
-Chi
na
Cana
da
Hong
Kon
g-Ch
ina
300
400
500
600
First-generation Non-immigrant Second-generation
Mean score
The culture and the education acquired before migrating have an impact on student
performance…
…but the country where students settle matters more
10
11
Second generation immigrant students’ performance in mathematics, by country of origin and destination
Austria
Belgium
Switzerland
Germany
Denmark
Netherlands
Austria
Belgium
Switzerland
Germany
Denmark
Netherlands
370.0 390.0 410.0 430.0 450.0 470.0 490.0 510.0
First-generation immigrants' score, after accounting for socio-economic status
PISA score points in mathematics
2nd generation students from
Turkey in:
Country of origin and country of destination
1st generation students from
Turkey in:
First generation immigrant students’ performance in mathematics, by country of origin and destination
12
Immigrant students’ performance in mathematics, by country of origin and destination
Australia
Macao-China
New Zealand
Hong Kong-China
Qatar
Finland
Denmark
United Arab Emirates
Netherlands
300 350 400 450 500 550 600
First-generation immigrants' score, after accounting for socio-economic status
PISA score points in mathematics
Students from Arabic-speak-
ing countries in:
Students from China in:
Denmark
Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Netherlands
Finland
50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95%
Percentage of students with an immigrant backgroundwho reported that they feel like they belong at school
Country of origin and country of destination
Students from Arabic-speak-
ing countries in:
13Percentage of second-generation immigrant studentswho reported that they feel like they belong at school
France
Belgium Braz
il
Irelan
d
Hong K
ong-C
hina
Italy
Swed
enMexi
coQata
r
United
Kingd
om
Switze
rland
Singa
pore
Argenti
na
United
Arab Em
irates
Austria
New Zea
land
Portu
gal
Greece
Norway
Israe
l0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
What the hosts think
14
15Individual reports on whether the country is made a worse or better place to live by immigrants
Russian FederationPortugal
Slovak RepublicItaly
Czech RepublicHungary
FranceIsrael
BelgiumUnited Kingdom
SloveniaEstonia
LithuaniaAverageBulgaria
SpainGermany
SwitzerlandNetherlands
IrelandFinlandNorwayPoland
AlbaniaDenmarkSwedenIceland
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Mean score
Worse place Better place
16Allow many or few immigrants from poorer countries outside of Europe
Hung
ary
Isra
el
Czec
h Re
publ
ic
Port
ugal
Uni
ted
King
dom
Slov
enia
Finl
and
Denm
ark
Aver
age
Fran
ce
Irela
nd
Spai
n
Net
herla
nds
Switz
erla
nd
Belg
ium
Italy
Pola
nd
Nor
way
Ger
man
y
Swed
en
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.002012 2000
Allow few
Allow many
17Allow many/few immigrants of different or same race/ethnic group from majority
Swed
en
Norw
ay
Germ
any
Pola
nd
Neth
erla
nds
Switz
erla
nd
Irela
nd
Belg
ium
Denm
ark
Spai
n
Fran
ce
Italy
Slov
enia
Finla
nd
Aver
age
Unite
d Ki
ngdo
m
Portu
gal
Czec
h Re
publ
ic
Hung
ary
Israe
l1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0Same 2012 Different 2012Same 2000 Different 2000
Allow few
Allow many
18Attitudes towards migrants based on perceptions of the state of the economy
2 4 6 80
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
3.13
4.95
1.99
6.98
3.79
5.865.54
4.14
2.16
6.00
3.22
3.81
3.382.84
4.52
3.87
2.61
3.98
5.23
7.95
4.18
2.17
3.77
6.14
2.57
3.48
2.72
R² = 0.320016708049637
Bad for the economy
Good for the eco-nomy
Perceptions on the economic value of migrants
Completely satisfied
Com-pletely dissatis-fied
Sati
sfac
tion
wit
h th
e st
ate
of
the
econ
omy
19Attitudes towards migrants based on perceptions of the state of the education system
3 4 5 6 7 80
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
4.92
6.78
3.97
7.10
6.17
5.23
7.80
5.92
4.50
8.01
5.35
5.90
4.75
6.13
5.20
6.89
4.865.44
6.226.92
5.23
4.474.04
5.74
5.38
5.134.32
5.23
R² = 0.255861973402958
Undermined
Enriched
Extremely bad
Extremely good
Perception of the state of the education system...
Con
trib
utio
n of
mig
rant
s to
cultu
ral l
ife...
The double disadvantage
20
21 Performance gapSh
angh
ai-C
hina
Peru
Colo
mbi
aM
exic
oFi
nlan
dBr
azil
Belg
ium
Switz
erla
ndDe
nmar
kLi
echt
enst
ein
Swed
enPo
rtug
alFr
ance
Spai
nN
ethe
rland
sAu
stria
Italy
Icel
and
Esto
nia
Nor
way
Gree
ceSl
oven
iaGe
rman
yO
ECD
aver
age
Czec
h Re
publ
icRu
ssia
n Fe
dera
tion
Arge
ntina
Cost
a Ri
caCh
ileLa
tvia
Luxe
mbo
urg
Croa
tiaUn
ited
King
dom
Turk
eyIre
land
Mal
aysia
Kaza
khst
anLi
thua
nia
Chin
ese
Taip
eiN
ew Z
eala
ndCa
nada
Slov
ak R
epub
licSi
ngap
ore
Hong
Kon
g-Ch
ina
Hung
ary
Serb
iaUn
ited
Stat
esJo
rdan
Israe
lM
onte
negr
oM
acao
-Chi
naTh
aila
ndAu
stra
liaUn
ited
Arab
Em
irate
sQ
atar
-100
-50
0
50
100
150
After accounting for socio-economic statusBefore accounting for socio-economic status
Score-point difference
Difference in mathematics performance between non-immigrant and immigrant students
22Percentage of immigrant students in schools where at least half of the students are immigrants
Hon
g K
ong-
Chin
a
Ger
man
y
Arg
enti
na
Swit
zerl
and
Slov
enia
Isra
el
Net
herl
ands
New
Zea
land
Belg
ium
Uni
ted
Stat
es
Fran
ce
Spai
n
OEC
D a
vera
ge
Luxe
mbo
urg
Kaz
akhs
tan
Aus
tria
Uni
ted
Kin
gdom
Aus
tral
ia
Swed
en
Mac
ao-C
hina
Nor
way
Den
mar
k
Ital
y
Cana
da
Gre
ece
Qat
ar
Uni
ted
Ara
b Em
...50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
23Percentage of immigrant students who do not speak the language of assessment at home
Croa
tiaM
onte
negr
oCh
ileCo
sta
Rica
Kaza
khst
anSe
rbia
Mac
ao-C
hina
Jord
anRu
ssia
n Fe
dera
tion
Arge
ntina
Hong
Kon
g-Ch
ina
Mex
ico
Braz
ilAu
stra
liaLi
echt
enst
ein
Shan
ghai
-Chi
naPo
rtug
alSp
ain
Unite
d Ar
ab E
mira
tes
Belg
ium
Irela
ndN
ew Z
eala
ndQ
atar
Gree
ceSw
itzer
land
Fran
ceCa
nada
OEC
D av
erag
eUn
ited
King
dom
Denm
ark
Net
herla
nds
Luxe
mbo
urg
Germ
any
Aust
riaUn
ited
Stat
esIta
lyN
orw
aySi
ngap
ore
Israe
lSw
eden
Slov
enia
Czec
h Re
publ
icIc
elan
dFi
nlan
d
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
First-generation immigrant Second-generation immigrant%
24Percentage of students who do not speak the language of assessment at home and who participate in at least two hours of training per week to improve their skills in the language of assessment
Slov
enia
Serb
ia
Germ
any
Finl
and
Port
ugal
Aust
ria
Italy
OEC
D av
erag
e (1
2)
Irela
nd
Belg
ium
Luxe
mbo
urg
Denm
ark
Slov
ak R
epub
lic
Cana
da
Latv
ia
Hong
Kon
g-Ch
ina
Sing
apor
e
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
All studentsBetween 0 and 4 years old when arrived10 years old or more when arrived
%
25 Difference between first generation immigrant students and non-immigrant students in the likelihood of being enrolled in a vocational track
Uni
ted
Arab
Em
irate
s
Aust
ria
Fran
ce
Net
herla
nds
Kaza
khst
an
Spai
n
Mex
ico
Shan
ghai
-Chi
na
Slov
enia
Belg
ium
Switz
erla
nd
Croa
tia
Gre
ece
Cost
a Ri
ca
Luxe
mbo
urg
Irela
nd
Port
ugal
Italy
Czec
h Re
publ
ic
Aust
ralia
Serb
ia
OEC
D av
erag
e
Mon
tene
gro
Mac
ao-C
hina
Ger
man
y
Isra
el
Arge
ntina
Russ
ian
Fede
ratio
n
Uni
ted
King
dom
Chile
0
1
2
3
4
After accounting for students' socio-economic status and performanceOdds ratio
First-generation immigrant students are more likely to at-tend a vocational study track
First-generation immigrant students are less likely to at-tend a vocational study track
4.76.5
The importance of early integration
26
27Reading performance of immigrant students, by attendance at pre-primary education
Braz
il
Mex
ico
35
Mal
aysi
a
Cost
a Ri
ca
Kaza
khst
an 3
6
Qat
ar 4
8
Jord
an 3
4
Mon
tene
gro
Gree
ce
Slov
enia
Spai
n 5
2
Swed
en 6
7
Italy
88
Russ
ian
Fede
ratio
n ...
Port
ugal
49
Luxe
mbo
urg
40
OEC
D av
erag
e 4
9
Switz
erla
nd
Croa
tia
Serb
ia
Unite
d Ar
ab E
mira
te...
New
Zea
land
90
Mac
ao-C
hina
81
Irela
nd
Cana
da 4
5
Aust
ralia
54
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
Had attended pre-primary education Had not attended pre-primary educationMean score
28 Difference in the likelihood of having attended pre-primary education between immigrant students and non-immigrant students
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0After accounting for students' socio-economic status
Odds ratio
Immigrant students are more likely to have at-tended pre-primary education
Immigrant students are less likely to have attended pre-
primary education
Narrowing the performance gap
29
30Change between 2003 and 2012 in mathematics performance, by immigrant background
Finl
and
Fr
ance
M
exico
Be
lgiu
m
-27
Denm
ark
Sw
eden
Sw
itzer
land
Ge
rman
y
Aust
ria
Neth
erla
nds
Lie
chte
nste
in
Spai
n
Gree
ce
Italy
28
Norw
ay
OECD
ave
rage
200
3
Portu
gal
Luxe
mbo
urg
Ru
ssia
n Fe
dera
tion
Un
ited
Stat
es
Hong
Kon
g-Ch
ina
-18
Czec
h Re
publ
ic
Irela
nd
New
Zeal
and
Ca
nada
M
acao
-Chi
na
-22
Aust
ralia
-1
5-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
PISA 2012 PISA 2003
Score-point difference
Difference between non-immigrants and first-generation immigrant students
31Change between 2003 and 2012 in mathematics performance, by immigrant background
Belg
ium
-2
3
Den
mar
k
Fran
ce
Swit
zerl
and
Aus
tria
Mex
ico
Net
herl
ands
Ger
man
y -
43
Port
ugal
Swed
en
Luxe
mbo
urg
Nor
way
Spai
n
OEC
D a
vera
ge 2
003
Ital
y
Rus
sian
Fed
erat
ion
New
Zea
land
Cana
da
14
Uni
ted
Stat
es
Latv
ia
Irel
and
Hon
g K
ong-
Chin
a
Mac
ao-C
hina
Aus
tral
ia
-41
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
Difference between non-immigrants and second-generation immigrant students
PISA 2012 PISA 2003
Scor
e-po
int
diff
eren
ce
32
Percentage of lower secondary teachers indicating they have a high level of need for professional development in the area of teaching in a multicultural or multilingual setting.
Net
herla
nds
Aust
ralia
Latv
ia
Sing
apor
e
Unite
d St
ates
Czec
h Re
publ
ic
Finl
and
Pola
nd
Denm
ark
Nor
way
Slov
ak R
epub
lic
Icel
and
Esto
nia
Serb
ia
Mal
aysia
Japa
n
Swed
en
Croa
tia
Fran
ce
Israe
l
Bulg
aria
Port
ugal
Kore
a
Spai
n
Rom
ania
Chile
Italy
Mex
ico
Braz
il
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
%
Teachers looking for help
33Percentage of students in schools where the principal reports that ethnic diversity hinders learning
0
5
10
15
20
25
Avantaged schools Disadvantaged schools All schools%
Policy responses
Low impact on outcomes
High impact on outcomes
High cost/complexity Low cost/complexity
Money pits
Must haves
Low hanging fruits
Quick wins
Language integration
Early ECEC
Parent engagement
Building capacity
Limiting tracking and grade repetition
Limiting congregation in disadvantaged schools
Monitoring
Policy responses
Low impact on outcomes
High impact on outcomes
High cost/complexity Low cost/complexity
Money pits
Must haves
Low hanging fruits
Quick wins
Language integration
Early ECEC
Parent engagement
Building capacity
Limiting tracking and grade repetition
Limiting congregation in disadvantaged schools
Monitoring
Students seem to acquire a new language faster when they are
immersed in that language from the outset, rather than placed in separate
language classes.Language tuition is beneficial, but only
when it is in addition to regular classroom instruction, such as in after-
school classes and during holiday breaks.
Policy responses
Low impact on outcomes
High impact on outcomes
High cost/complexity Low cost/complexity
Money pits
Must haves
Low hanging fruits
Quick wins
Language integration
Early ECEC
Parent engagement
Building capacity
Limiting tracking and grade repetition
Limiting congregation in disadvantaged schools
Monitoring
If children enter such programmes at the age of 2 or 3 they have a chance of
starting school at almost the same level as non-immigrant children.
Targeted home visits can help families to support their child’s learning at home and can also ease entry into
appropriate education services
Policy responses
Low impact on outcomes
High impact on outcomes
High cost/complexity Low cost/complexity
Money pits
Must haves
Low hanging fruits
Quick wins
Language integration
Early ECEC
Parent engagement
Building capacity
Limiting tracking and grade repetition
Limiting congregation in disadvantaged schools
Monitoring
While many classrooms are now filled with immigrants, the teachers in these
classrooms are often ill-prepared in pedagogical approaches for second-
language learning or in recognising and helping children overcome the effects of
trauma that many immigrant children endure.
Policy responses
Low impact on outcomes
High impact on outcomes
High cost/complexity Low cost/complexity
Money pits
Must haves
Low hanging fruits
Quick wins
Language integration
Early ECEC
Parent engagement
Building capacity
Limiting tracking and grade repetition
Limiting congregation in disadvantaged schools
Monitoring
Schools that struggle to do well for domestic students struggle even more with a large population of immigrant.
Countries that distribute migrant students across a mix of schools achieve better outcomes for these students. A more
even distribution also relieves the pressure on schools and teachers when large numbers of immigrant students
arrive over a short period of time
Policy responses
Low impact on outcomes
High impact on outcomes
High cost/complexity Low cost/complexity
Money pits
Must haves
Low hanging fruits
Quick wins
Language integration
Early ECEC
Parent engagement
Building capacity
Limiting tracking and grade repetition
Limiting congregation in disadvantaged schools
Monitoring
While teachers are critical to migrant students’ success in schools, so are their parents. Students do better when their parents understand the importance of
schooling, how the school system works, and how best to support their child’s
progress through school.
Policy responses
Low impact on outcomes
High impact on outcomes
High cost/complexity Low cost/complexity
Money pits
Must haves
Low hanging fruits
Quick wins
Language integration
Early ECEC
Parent engagement
Building capacity
Limiting tracking and grade repetition
Limiting congregation in disadvantaged schools
MonitoringTargeted funding
While ability grouping, grade repetition and tracking reinforce social background for non-immigrant students, immigrant
students are even more likely to be affected by these practices. Language
difficulties and cultural differences can be misinterpreted as lack of ability and
potential.