School Trajectory of Elementary Newcomer Students: Early Tracking System and Norm Accommodation

Abstract The increase in the number of newcomer students in countries across the world has underscored the importance of effective transition strategies in education. Many students encounter difficulties in acquiring academic knowledge due to initial limited language skills in the school language. Implementing appropriate strategies to facilitate this transition has shown positive outcomes. However, some obstacles remain to be addressed for newcomer students. In the Netherlands, standardized tests are utilised to monitor the academic progress of all students and determine the appropriate educational pathway. Our study, based on longitudinal assessment data from 51 newcomer elementary school students and 74 of their classmates, sheds light on how this system interacts with the transitions of newcomers. While newcomer students made greater progress compared to their peers, we found that their results were influenced by the application of test norms designed for younger age groups. The insights from this study provide valuable perspectives on educational pathways for newcomer students and prompt us to reconsider the implications of norm accommodation for these students. It highlights the needs to implement practices that enable newcomer students to effectively pursue their academic aspirations.