In this research article, Stephany Cuevas explores how undocumented Latina/o parents are engaged in their children's higher education goals and aspirations. Specifically, she investigates how the constraints created by the consequences of their undocumented immigration status, or their “illegality,” impact this engagement. Through in-depth interviews with fifteen undocumented Latina/o parents with children who successfully applied to, were accepted by, and matriculated to a selective public institution in California, Cuevas finds that undocumented parents make intentional day-to-day sacrificios for their children's educational attainment, prioritizing their children's educational financial needs over their own basic needs. While these engagement behaviors are similar to those of other parent populations, Cuevas argues that these investments come at a higher and more personal cost for undocumented immigrant parents. The findings of this study are essential for reconceptualizing research and practice to consider the impact of an immigration status on Latina/o parental engagement.
Undocumented immigration is one of the most contested policy issues of our time. Although the number of undocumented immigrants has remained relatively constant in recent years (Passel et al., 2014), undocumented people continue to be stigmatized. Young undocumented immigrants, moreover, are caught in a particular paradox. Their right to an education at the K-12 level is constitutionally guaranteed through the 1982 Plyler v. Doe decision, and yet restrictions on their ability to legally work and receive financial aid stall, detour, and often derail their educational and socioeconomic trajectories. Young undocumented students are, as Leisy Abrego (2006) states, "caught in a limbo" (p. 219); they experience feelings of being legally and socially in between as they feel "American" but their documentation status tells a different story. Furthermore, at any time these youth can be deported to their "home" countries, which they may barely know. Growing up with such uncertainty and in an elevated climate of fear, many of these young men and women experience hopes and possibilities circumscribed by constantly changing immigration laws and policies at the local, state, and federal levels. These conditions have created a sizable vulnerable population that requires attention, including research and practice-based solutions in schools and communities. Research in the growing subfield of undocumented immigrants and education has drawn attention to the repercussions of contradictory educational and immigration policies. Yet the varied experiences of undocumented youth importantly underscore that immigration status can be mediated at the local level and by institutions such as schools, universities, and community-based organizations (Abrego, 2006; Gonzales, 2010). For example, Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas (2011) has referred to a "21st century Underground Railroad," with educators paving the way for undocumented students. But little is known about the school setting or how teachers and administrators interact with undocumented students. While undocumented immigrant students have a legal right to K-12 education,
Innovation in instructional technology has contributed to the rapid implementation of technology-driven instructional platforms, particularly in developmental math coursework (Bickerstaff et al., 2016). In this phenomenological study, we investigate how faculty perceive and respond to a mandated, technology-driven instructional model for developmental math coursework at public colleges in Tennessee. Through interviews with faculty members across four colleges, we find that many faculty agreed that technology helped them to better track student performance, provide more targeted assistance, and communicate directly with students. Faculty also expressed concerns that technology provides the opportunity or temptation to game the system, interfering with true learning, and that students with the greatest needs may not be well served by the instructional model. We draw policy implications related to the role of educators in the development and implementation of curricular policy, provision and requirements for ongoing professional development, and postsecondary learning accountability.
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