Studies
This library hosts materials developed by Switchboard and by former Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-funded technical assistance (TA) providers (most in fiscal years 2016-2018, with selected earlier materials). This library links materials externally where: their formats were incompatible with internal hosting; they were developed by current ORR-funded TA providers; or they were developed by non-ORR funded authors who granted permission for the links.
Author Definitions
Paid Full TextThe relationships between after-school programs, academic outcomes, and behavioral developmental outcomes of Latino children from immigrant families: Findings from the 2005 National Household Education Surveys Program
Publication Year: 2015
Outcome area(s): Youth Programs
Intervention(s): After-school activities
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee School Impact Program
Direction of Evidence: No impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
After-school programs function especially well in improving academic and behavioral outcomes for disadvantaged children in general. However, little is known about the effectiveness of after-school programs in improving outcomes among Latino children in particular. Latino children from immigrant families are disadvantaged and vulnerable due to limited English skills and fewer educational resources. We hypothesized that …
Paid Full TextALAS: An Intervention to Promote Career Development Among Latina/o Immigrant High School Students
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Youth Programs
Intervention(s): Career intervention program
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee School Impact Program
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
This article describes the rationale, development, delivery, and evaluation strategy of a pilot career intervention program for immigrant Latina/o high school students: Advocating for Latina/o Achievement in School. This innovative intervention aims to prevent dropout and to promote academic success and college and career readiness through a combination of academic support and enhancing critical consciousness. …
Free Full TextMoving forward: Educational outcomes for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) exiting foster care in the United States
Publication Year: 2018
Outcome area(s): Youth Programs
Intervention(s): Foster care for URM
Relevant ORR Program(s): Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Unprecedented numbers of unaccompanied children have migrated to the Southern border of the United States in recent years. Yet, little is known about how these children fare after arrival, including the few who are placed in the federally sponsored Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) foster care programme. Existing research suggests that unaccompanied refugee children, unaccompanied migrant …
Free Full TextExtracurricular Participation Among Adolescents from Immigrant Families
Publication Year: 2014
Outcome area(s): Youth Programs
Intervention(s): After-school activities
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee School Impact Program
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Participation in organized after school activities could be especially beneficial for youth from immigrant backgrounds, whose families often have little knowledge of American school systems. The role of extracurricular involvement in the achievement and motivation of students from immigrant families was examined among 468 eleventh grade (52.4%female) students from Asian American (44.4%),European American (19.0%) and …
Extracurricular Participation Among Adolescents from Immigrant Families Read More »
Free Full TextImpact of Latino Parent Engagement on Student Academic Achievement: A Pilot Study
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Youth Programs
Intervention(s): Training parents how to fully engage with the school system
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee School Impact Program
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
The current pilot study examines the impact of the Ten Education Commandments for Parents program on (1) new immigrant Latino parents’ knowledge of the U.S. public education system, (2) parent engagement, and (3) their children’s academic achievement. Utilizing a preexperimental, pre- and posttest research design, four schools with similar demographic compositions were chosen for the …
Impact of Latino Parent Engagement on Student Academic Achievement: A Pilot Study Read More »
Free Full TextLong-Term Impacts of Promotor Engagement
Publication Year: 2021
Outcome area(s): Youth Mentoring
Intervention(s): Youth Mentoring
Relevant ORR Program(s): Youth Mentoring
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Moderate
Type of Study: Impact evaluation
This report analyzes the results of a five-year follow-up survey given to participants in a randomized control trial (RCT) of the Latin American Youth Center’s Promotor Pathway program. A 2016 Urban Institute1 report describes the Promotor Pathway program and the development, implementation, and 18-month impacts of the RCT. A subsequent Ewald & Wasserman technical brief2 …
Academic Preparedness and Exposure to Agriculture and Natural Resources Majors and Careers for Migrant Farmworker College Students through Customized Classroom Instruction
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): College program to facilitate entry into the agricultural workspace.
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Since 2001, the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Michigan State University has been recruiting and graduating first-generation Latino and Haitian college students from migrant farmworker (MFW) backgrounds to help them break the cycles of migration, low educational attainment, and poverty. In partnership with CAMP, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at Michigan …
Working toward aspirations: how higher education learning-working trajectories for refugees in the Netherlands support work-related capabilities
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): Higher educational vocational training program.
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Refugees face multiple barriers to employment, such as previous work experience and qualifications not recognized. The Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences offers a higher vocational education and training (VET) dual program for highly-skilled refugees, in which education and work is combined. After completion of the two-year program, participants have gained new skills, learned (vocational) language, …
Teens in the Somali Diaspora: An Evaluative Program Study
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): STEAM summer program for Somali youth
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Program evaluation is a critical part of program sustainability because evaluation can inform improvements and document impact. Here, 2 Minnesota organizations came together in partnership with the Somali American community to work toward a shared vision, which was to develop a new sustainable program that prepared refugee and immigrant youth for their educational and workforce …
Teens in the Somali Diaspora: An Evaluative Program Study Read More »
Entry to hospitality careers for women and beyond: Immigrant training and feminist pedagogies and practices
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): Vocational training program.
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Employment training services are provided for immigrants to integrate them into the Canadian labour market. Evaluated on short-term labour market outcomes, these programs typically focus on enhancing individuals’ employability, while risking naturalizing and reproducing the dominant social and cultural order. Entry to Hospitality Careers for Women is a government-funded program based on a partnership between a community …
