Preparing for Citizenship: Immigrant High School Students' Curriculum and Socialization

Immigrant adolescents are one of the fastest growing segments of our population, yet we know little about how schools prepare them for citizenship. Although prior research suggests that high school civics education, academic achievement, and a sense of connection increase political participation in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Theory and research in social education 2008-04, Vol.36 (2), p.6-31
Main Authors: Callahan, Rebecca M., Muller, Chandra, Schiller, Kathryn S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Adolescents
Citizenship
Citizenship Education
Civics
Educational Attainment
Gender Differences
High School Students
High Schools
Immigrants
Longitudinal Studies
Minority Groups
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
Parent Influence
Predictor Variables
Program Effectiveness
Racial Differences
Secondary School Curriculum
Social Studies
Socialization
Student Participation
Voting
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Summary:Immigrant adolescents are one of the fastest growing segments of our population, yet we know little about how schools prepare them for citizenship. Although prior research suggests that high school civics education, academic achievement, and a sense of connection increase political participation in early adulthood, we do not know if these processes apply to immigrant youth. Using longitudinal, nationally representative data from the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement study (AHAA) and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we employ multilevel models to investigate the effects of formal and informal school curricula on early adult voting and registration. We find that children of immigrant parents who take more high school social studies coursework have higher levels of reported voter registration and voting. In addition, attending a high school where students have a greater sense of connection or where parents have more education are important predictors of registration and voting, regardless of immigrant status.
ISSN:0093-3104
2163-1654
DOI:10.1080/00933104.2008.10473365