HAITIAN STUDENTS: EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

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HAITIAN STUDENTS EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES AND
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

• Yolette Ibokette

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Anpil men, chay pa lou.
With many hands,the load is not heavy.
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Overview

• Haitian students in two groups
• Factors contributing to educational success
• Challenges facing Haitian students
• Successful practices for Haitian students and
  families

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Two Groups of Haitian Immigrant Students

• Middle class and upper class families had access
  to good education in Haiti
• Lower income families did not have access
  to good education in Haiti

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Haitian Ethnic Identity in the US

• Strong Haitian identity and language
• Bicultural
• Undercover a way to deal with prejudice and
  discrimination

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Challenges Faced by Haitian Students

• Student academic realities
• Student social and cultural realities
• Teacher preparation
• School culture
• Family support

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Challenge Student academic realities

• Below grade level in schooling
• Over-age in high school
• High stakes nature of MCAS
• Lack of appropriate academic support

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Challenge Student social and cultural realities

• Bullying and racial violence
• More frequently sent out of the classroom
• Navigating two sets of cultural norms
• Re-establishing family ties and relationships
  after distance and time

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Challenge Teacher preparation

• No training in teaching English language learners
• Little exposure to people of color
• Low expectations
• Few Haitian role models in schools

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Challenge School culture

• Unstructured classroom environment different from
  Haitian classrooms
• Lack of parent liaisons who can communicate with
  and for students and families
• Schools make little effort to engage parents

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Challenge Family support

• Do not speak the language
• Work multiple jobs
• Different cultural expectations
• Limited educational background

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Successful Strategies

• Within the classroom
• Within the school
• Beyond the school

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Strategies within the classroom Pedagogy

• Literacy programs encompassing phonics
• Teacher read-alouds
• Guided reading
• Independent reading

• Writers workshop
• Listening center
• Reading Recovery
• Literacy Collaborative
• Making Meaning
• Books on Tape

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Strategies within the classroom Curriculum

• Incorporate Haitian history and culture during
  social studies blocks
• Lamitye Program friendship
• High expectations

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Strategies within the classroom Assessment

• Benchmark assessments with instructions in Creole
• Criterion-referenced tests
• Assessments should be fair, meaningful, and
  inform instruction and curricula

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Strategies within the school

• Identifying Haitian students who are below grade
  level early in school year
• Teacher Assistance Team meetings
• Homework assistance and after-school enrichment
  programs
• Parent liaisons

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Strategies beyond the school

• Volunteer, trained tutors
• Homework centers
• Haitian Reporter articles
• Teacher advocates