Where Immigrant Students Succeed: A Comparative Review of Performance And Engagement in Pisa

by OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Immigrants bring a wealth of human capital that can contribute to economic growth and cultural diversity of a host country. Tapping into this potential, however, remains a major challenge for policymakers. What barriers exist for young immigrants today? Can schools contribute to reducing those barriers and in turn help them succeed in their adopted country? Drawing on data from the OECD's Program for International Students Assessment (PISA), this study examines the performance of students with immigrant backgrounds and compares it to that of their native counterparts. It provides information on countries' approaches to the integration of immigrants and looks at other factors that could influence an immigrant student's attitude toward school, motivation and learning strategies, social background, and the language spoken at home.

222 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2006

About the author

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 35 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It is a forum of countries describing themselves as committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seeking answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate domestic and international policies of its members.

In 1948, the OECD originated as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), led by Robert Marjolin of France, to help administer the Marshall Plan (which was rejected by the Soviet Union and its satellite states). This would be achieved by allocating American financial aid and implementing economic programs for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. (Similar reconstruction aid was sent to the war-torn Republic of China and post-war Korea, but not under the name "Marshall Plan".)

In 1961, the OEEC was reformed into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development by the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and membership was extended to non-European states. Most OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as developed countries.

The OECD's headquarters are at the Château de la Muette in Paris, France. The OECD is funded by contributions from member states at varying rates.