The Social Integration of Latino Newcomer Students in Midwestern Elementary Schools: Teacher and Administrator Perceptions

Midwestern communities have experienced rapid influxes of Latino immigrants in recent years. Public schools in areas that were previously white and monolingual are now challenged to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. There is a substantial body of research on the academic needs of Hispanic immigrants, especially in terms of English language instruction. However, little is known about how these newcomer children are adjusting socially at school. The purpose of this study is to explore teacher and administrator perceptions of Latino student social integration, which is conceptualized as how these children interact with their U.S. born peers and with the entire school community. Social integration also includes policies and practices that have been implemented to welcome and support these students as they adjust to attending school in a new country. A total of nine teachers and administrators from public elementary schools in Ohio and Indiana were interviewed to get their perspectives on how Latino newcomers are included in their new school environments