Massachusetts high schools struggle to balance supporting mastery of English and progress toward graduation for immigrant newcomers, according to a new report led by researchers at Brown.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - High schools in Massachusetts are struggling to accomplish the dual goal of helping immigrant newcomers progress toward English language proficiency and master the academic content required to graduate, according to a new report by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University.
The report, "Land of Opportunity? Immigrant Newcomers in Massachusetts High Schools," developed by Educational Opportunity in Massachusetts - a research-practice partnership between the Annenberg Institute, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts Department Higher Education - offers several findings that suggest important challenges in serving this population.
"The data we examined show that many opportunities afforded to other high school students are out of reach for newcomers," said Ann Mantil, a Brown University research scientist in education policy at the Annenberg Institute who co-authored the report. "Our findings raise questions about whether Massachusetts high schools are doing enough to unlock opportunities for this extremely vulnerable population."
Across public school districts in Massachusetts, graduation rates among newcomers - English learners in their first 12 months of high school in the United States - are low. This is particularly true for those who arrive knowing little English.
"Districts appear to be struggling to adapt their high school programming and provide supports so that more newcomers remain in school and earn their diplomas," Mantil said.
Many of those who do graduate have not attained English language proficiency, according to the report. Among newcomers who arrived with low English skills, just 6% of graduates were proficient by the time they received their diplomas, according to the report.
Even those who become proficient in English can face challenges after graduation.
"If newcomers do not build strong skills in core academic content areas, opportunities in post-secondary education and the labor market are foreclosed," the report authors wrote.
Until very recently, according to the report, many Massachusetts districts experienced large growth in immigrant newcomer populations and rapid changes in newcomers' backgrounds and needs. Most urban areas saw large increases in the number of new arrivals after the COVID-19 pandemic, but those numbers were substantially lower in the 2024-25 school year, stemming from changes in federal immigration policies and enforcement.
An increased newcomer population creates many instructional challenges for school districts, according to the report. "Districts must respond immediately to their students, but fixed budget cycles and facilities constraints make it difficult to do so effectively," the report authors wrote.
Educators identified staffing, including challenges recruiting qualified staff for dual-language programs, as the most important factor inhibiting "the necessary rapid response."
While high school immigrant newcomers remain concentrated in urban areas, about half of Massachusetts districts enroll more than five of these students, the researchers found.
The study was co-authored by John Papay, director of the Annenberg Institute; Ian Ferguson, research project manager; Diana Quintero, postdoctoral research associate; and Richard Murnane, a professor emeritus at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The researchers found that high school newcomers differ from other vulnerable student groups in several ways.
More than half are not present for the beginning of the school year in September, and often arrive sometime after early October, which can place them at a disadvantage. In addition, about half of high school newcomers are 16 or older when they arrive in the state, many without their parents, and districts differ in how they serve these older newcomers. The researchers found that some districts have developed specialized programming to accommodate the work obligations and family responsibilities of older newcomers, but district differences in policies and practices for newcomers reflect the state's long tradition of local control.
Additionally, the researchers found that newcomers appear to have less access to rigorous courses and specialized programs such as career and technical education.
The report was developed as a follow-up to a 2023 Annenberg Institute report "Rising Numbers, Unmet Needs," which examined rapid growth in the number of immigrant newcomers to Massachusetts high schools.
