Findings

Data Analysis

As we researched and learned about the migrant children and families arriving in Chicago, we found that we could analyze preexisting data to help visualize the state of CPS and the migrant crisis in Chicago. 

One datapoint that was especially compelling was the economic and language breakdown of students enrolled in CPS. As of September 2023, over 70% of students were economically disadvantaged, over 24% were English Learners, and over 16% had individualized education programs. With the influx of migrant students, almost all of which would be considered English Learners, we can expect the programs in place, such as the English Learners Program and Dual Language Program, to be overwhelmed with students. Many of these students have not received any formal education since they began their journey to the United States. From this data, we realize we must put a financial emphasis on funding these programs and recruiting volunteer/substitute teachers who can support these students in need. CPS’s budget of just under $8 billion dollars must be allocated first to the migrant families and students desperately in need of support. See Figure 1 for a chart representing this.

However, racial and economic diversity is not a new concept for CPS. The racial breakdown of CPS students is visually represented below, with 46.6% Hispanic students and 35% African American students making up the vast majority as of September 2023. It’s incredibly important to consider the racial makeup and background of students within the CPS system because it highlights how vital it is to have teachers and school administrators that both represent the students and know how to reach all students coming from different backgrounds. This data can help better inform decision making on qualifications for teachers and needs of students. See Figure 2 for the racial breakdowns of CPS students.

Another useful piece of data provided by CPS is its accountability report. Its most recent accountability report is from 2020, so having updated data that accounts for in influx of migrant students is an important reflective step that CPS can take. However, we can still analyze past accountability reports to understand how CPS has performed historically. The School Quality Rating Policy (SQRP) is a key metric that was created to “Communicate to parents and community members about the academic success of individual schools and the district as a whole; Recognize high achieving and high growth schools and identifying best practices; Provide a framework for goal-setting for schools; Identify schools in need of targeted or intensive support; and Guide the Board's decision-making processes around school actions and turnarounds.” The data is also separated to highlight how English Learners as well as students of different races perform relative to their peers. See figure 3 for our key takeaways from the 2020 survey.

Research Findings

As a group, we conducted extensive research on the migrant crisis, education systems, and child development to help us form well-supported recommendations.

A common theme throughout our research related to the trauma that migrant children had endured on their journey and in their home country, termed “toxic trauma.” Given this, there are conscious decisions that caregivers and educators can make to help migrant children process this trauma, acclimate to their new surroundings, and succeed in their new school environments. Some of the suggestions offered by Shafer and Walsh of Harvard Business School included depoliticizing the experiences of the children, making family support a priority, pairing students with mentors of similar backgrounds to them, developing sensitivity training, and providing college and career planning (Shafer and Walsh). These recommendations are congruent with other research themes which identify the importance of looking at the needs of the migrant children holistically, rather than only academically.

A master’s thesis paper in Wisconsin’s department of school counseling describes the benefits that children who are involved in extracurricular activities reap as a result of their participation. These benefits included better grades, higher standardized test scores, and higher self-concept. These students were also less likely to use drugs and alcohol and had decreased absenteeism as well as a greater connection to the school (Wilson). The self confidence that is cultivated through extracurricular activities can be hugely impactful for migrant children who have experienced severe trauma.

The importance of after school activities is reinforced in research done by Roxanne Moschetti. She states that “participating in music connects different neural pathways. All three of those things also help with creativity, strategic planning; a big one is executive function, which is basically the ability to complete a task all the way through” (Benito). This developmental finding is especially relevant to younger children who are at the most vulnerable stage of their cognitive development.