A First Examination of Academic and Early-Career Outcomes of Refugee and Asylee Students: Evidence from Texas Public Schools
Since 1975, the U.S. has resettled more than 3.5 million refugees; since 1990, it has granted asylum to over 750,000. Since 2000, almost 37 percent of all refugees and asylees have been minors. Due to the lack of access to long-term economic and educational attainment data for refugee and asylee youth, we lack an understanding of the importance of education in their successful resettlement and economic self-sufficiency. Education researchers Toni Templeton and Fiza Mairaj will examine the educational and early-career outcomes of refugee and asylee youth in the public education system in Texas. This descriptive study is guided by three questions. What are the demographic characteristics, educational classifications, and academic and workforce outcomes of refugee and asylee students enrolled in Texas public schools? How do their academic outcomes differ from those of their peers? How does the relationship between education and earnings for refugee and asylee students compare to that relationship for their peers?