Secondary Newcomer Programs in the U.S.

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West Hills Middle School ESL Newcomer Program
Program Address:
2601 Lone Pine Road
West Bloomfield, MI 48326
Phone: (248) 341-6100
Fax: (248) 341-6199
SToohey@bloomfield.org
www.bloomfield.org
Contact Person:
Suzanne Haxer Toohey
ESL Teacher

  • Program Information
    • Information provided for school year: 2010-2011
      Year Program Started: 2005
      School/Grade Levels: Middle school site(s)
      Program Description:
      This program-within-a-school serves three district middle schools. Students remain in the program according to individual needs and receive a full-day program or less, also depending on their needs. All of the middle schools offer ESL programs, but only West Hills offers the newcomer program. Students receive orientation to the U.S. culture and schools, and intensive ESL instruction as well as some sheltered content classes.
      Newcomer Student Definition:
      A newcomer student is newly arrived in the United States (for the first time) and scores basic or low intermediate on the Michigan English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA).
      Aspects of Program Working Well:
      Aspects working well are the initial placement of students in program and their transition to general education.
      Type of Language Program: ESL
      Type of Community: Suburban
      How Families Learn of Program: Word of mouth, district/school website.
      Students Assigned From:
      • More than one school
      Name(s) of the Home School(s): West Hills Middle School, East Hills Middle School, Bloomfield Hills Middle School
      Funding Sources:
      • Federal: Title III
      • State: Title III
      • District
       Other District Language Support Programs: ESL programs at all district schools serve students at levels I-V.
  • Program Design Features
    • Program Location:
      • Program-within-a-school
       Length of Day:
      • Full-day Program
      • Other: Varies depending on individual student needs. Some students are in the program for less than a full day.
       Length of Program:
      • 1-year program
      • Other: A student may participate in the program until multiple indicators demonstrate a student's readiness to exit.
       Average Length of stay: 2 semester(s)
      Maximum Length of stay: 2 semester(s)
      Average Class Size: 8 student(s)
      Entry Criteria: Students must be newly arrived and score basic or low intermediate on Michigan English Language Proficiency Assessment.
  • Newcomer Student Demographics
    • Number of Newcomer Students in Program: 15
      Age Range of Students: 10-14
      Number of Countries Represented: 7
      Most Common Countries:
      • Germany
      • Ukraine
      • Korea
      • Japan
      • Iran
       Number of Non-English Languages Represented: 7
      Most Common Student Languages:
      • German
      • Korean
      • Arabic
      • Farsi/Persian
      • Russian
       Percentage of Students with Interrupted Formal Schooling: 7%
      Percentage of Students with Free or Reduced Lunch: 7%
  • Instruction
    • Languages Used for Instruction: English
      Courses Provided by the Newcomer Program:
      • Sheltered content in English
        • social studies
        • language arts
      • ESL or English language development
      • Cross-cultural/orientation to the United States
      • School/study skills
      Typical Newcomer Student Schedule: Two periods of direct English instruction plus one academic support class. General education math, science, and elective classes.
      Literacy Development Practices: Vocabulary development, grammar, expository reading skills, writing, listening, and speaking skill development.
      Literacy Materials Used: All Write, Access English, Oxford Picture Dictionary, Access American History
      High School Courses Receiving Core Credit: N/A
      High School Courses Receiving Elective Credit: N/A
      Credit Recovery or Online Learning Courses: N/A
      Additional Learning Opportunities:
      Ancillary Services Offered Students:
      • Title I
      • Special Education
      • Gifted and talented
      • Health (physical)
      • Health (mental)
      • Career counseling
      • Tutoring
       5- or 6- Year Program Available for High School Newcomer Students: N/A
  • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Placement Measures
      Reading:
      ELPA Screener, Woodcock Munoz
      English language proficiency:
      ELPA Screener, Woodcock Munoz
      Content:
      Non-verbal math assessment
      Progress Measures
      Reading:
      ELPA, Woodcock Munoz, Scholastic Reading Inventory
      English language proficiency:
      ELPA, Woodcock Munoz
      Content:
      MEAP, common assessments
      Achievement Measures
      State standards tests:
      Yes, all.
      Other assessments:
      Program Evaluation: State of Michigan, Title III Evaluation
  • Student Transition and Monitoring
    • Type of Program Students Exit Into:
      • ESL
       Exit Criteria: The student will exit the newcomer program if he/she meets some or all of the following criteria: tests intermediate on ELPA, scores at grade level on the Woodcock Munoz, acquires enough language skills to successfully adapt to general education curriculum, or no longer benefits from newcomer instruction.
      Measures to Facilitate Student Transition Out of the Newcomer Program: Continued monitoring and support by ESL teacher.
      ESL teacher and school counselor assist with the transition.
  • Program Staffing and Professional Development
    • Total Number of Program Administrators: 0
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 0
      Total Number of Teachers: 1
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 1
      Criteria to Teach in Newcomer Program: ESL endorsement plus classroom experience
      Total Number of Paraprofessionals: 1
      Total Number of Resource Teachers: 0
      Total Number of Guidance Counselors for School: 2
      Social Worker/Family Liaison: No
      Guidance Counselors for Program: No
      Total Number of Staff Who Speak in One of the Student Native Languages: 1
      Languages that Staff Speak in Addition to English:
      Professional Development Topics for Teachers and Staff: Differentiated instruction; using ELPA data to drive instruction, reading comprehension in the content areas
  • Connecting Families and Social Capital Networks
    • School Services Offered to Parents and Families:
      • Parent outreach
      • Orientation to USA
      • Orientation to US schools
      • Native language literacy courses
      • Adult basic education
      • GED
      • Information sharing with community organizations
      • Other: International Family Organization
      Newcomer Program Partnerships:
      In response to a growing international community in our district, families have formed their own international family support group called the Lone Pine International Club. While the club is community-based, our district makes new families aware of the club, and newcomer program teachers and students attend many of the functions that the club holds.
      Social Services for Families:
      N/A
      Methods to Inform Families of Services Available:
      N/A
      Methods to Inform Service Agencies of Newcomer Program:
      N/A