Changing Demographics in the Schools: Wisconsin's New Latino Diaspora

WCER Working Paper No. 2011-4

Rebecca Lowenhaupt and Eric Camburn

August 2011, 15 pp.

ABSTRACT: This paper presents results from a demographic analysis of enrollment patterns in Wisconsin’s New Latino Diaspora. Across the country, shifting immigration patterns are rapidly changing the demographics of schools with little recent tradition of educating immigrant students. Although emerging immigrant communities represent a widespread and significant national trend, little is known about the educational implications of this demographic shift. This paper seeks to characterize the impact of this shift on Wisconsin’s schools through a longitudinal analysis of changing enrollments. Additionally, the paper identifies relevant characteristics of these schools and concludes with a discussion of the implications of this trend for policy and practice.

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keywords: Immigrant Education, Enrollment Trends, Demographic Change