Racial and Ethnic Stratification in Educational Achievement and Attainment

▪ Abstract Understanding racial, ethnic, and immigrant variation in educational achievement and attainment is more important than ever as the U.S. population becomes increasingly diverse. The Census Bureau estimates that in 2000, 34% of all youth aged 15–19 were from minority groups; it estimates that by 2025, this will increase to 46% ( U.S. Census Bureau 2000 ). In addition, approximately one in five school-age children reside in an immigrant family ( Zhou 1997 , Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco 2001 ). We provide an overview of recent empirical research on racial, ethnic, and immigrant differences in educational achievement and attainment, and we examine some current theories that attempt to explain these…

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  Spencer Foundation