Who is disadvantaged? Immigrant children in Italy between school and city policies

Based on first results coming from the international research project GOETE (Governance of Educational Trajectories in Europe, www.goete.eu), this paper will analyse policies targeting immigrant children in three towns in Italy: Bologna (North), Ancona (Centre) and Catania (South). In particular, the paper will focus on policies targeting lower secondary school pupils, and actions directly and indirectly aimed at supporting their transition to following education paths. The paper will describe the role taken by schools not only as an education agency, but as a local welfare agency, networked (more or less successfully) with local institutions. Thus, we will focus on environmental dimensions concerning schools, families, peers and services useful to define and cope with immigrant difficulties (school failure and deviance in particular). How different discourses on immigrant youth find their way in targeted policies? Which space for local discretion, which strengths and weaknesses in the frame of a poor discourse on immigrant integration, school support, and an ambiguous discourse on local autonomy? How schools and local institutions interact with immigrant parents to help them in adult monitoring and parental tasks? How are they involved in mainstream activities? To achieve these aims, we will use a mixed-method approach, triangulating first results of GOETE working packages, in particular using dimensions focusing on targeting of disadvantage and local governance networks coming from:  surveys with parents, principals and pupils;  focus groups with students and teachers  interviews with parents, principals, pupils and local stakeholders and experts.