Secondary Newcomer Programs in the U.S.

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International Newcomer Academy
Program Address:
7060 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76116
Phone: (817) 815-5600
Fax: (817) 815-5650
Contact Person:
Margaret Balandran
Director, ESL/Bilingual
Bil./ESL Dept., 100 N. University Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 814-2412
margaret.balandran@fwisd.org

  • Program Information
    • Information provided for school year: 2010-2011
      Year Program Started: 1993
      School/Grade Levels: Combination middle and high school site
      Program Description:
      The newcomer programs serves students in grades 6-9 at a separate site. Students generally remain for one year and then return to their home schools. The goals of International Newcomer Academy (INA) are to (1) orient students to U.S. schools, (2) develop basic communicative/academic oral and written English proficiency, and (3) continue/develop knowledge and skills in core content-area subjects -- so that student can transition successfully to the next component of the secondary ESL program (the Language Center program) at the home campuses. The program offers different course schedules to middle and high schoolers and to educated and pre-literate students.
      Newcomer Student Definition:
      A newcomer is an immigrant student in Grades 6-9 who is new to the U.S. (up to 1 year of enrollment in U.S. upon enrollment in FWISD) and non-English-speaking with a score of A or B on EOLPT (English Oral Language Proficiency Test).
      Aspects of Program Working Well:
      1. The overall commitment of the INA staff to providing quality instructional programs and other support services for newcomer students and families.
      2. The fact that the program is structured to accept new students, regardless of when they enroll, and to place the students in classes that are appropriate for their linguistic and academic needs.
      3. The fact that the INA program (which is THE beginning-level program for Grades 6-9 newcomer students in the district) stabilizes the Language Center programs on 11 campuses and allows the Language Center programs to concentrate on students at higher levels of language proficiency.
      4. The fact that INA is able to offer distinct and targeted programs for both the educated and the pre-literate newcomer students.
      5. The fact that INA is exceeding its goal of helping students acquire proficiency in English (On TELPAS assessments for 2008, 48% of the INA students met the expected standard, and 52% exceeded the standard [with 22% exceeding the standard by more than two or more levels]).
      6. The collaboration of INA with community agencies and refugee resettlement agencies (which results in students/families being able to receive a range of services they might not otherwise be able to access so readily).
      7. The fact that INA serves as a source for professional development for other teachers in the district (i.e., "regular" teachers often visit INA to see how content can be taught, through the use of special methods, to students who speak little/no English).
      8. The continued support for the program from the Fort Worth ISD Board of Education and the Fort Worth ISD Superintendent and executive staff. (Fort Worth ISD has had a "newcomer" program in some form since 1983, ten years prior to the establishment of the unique INA program. During that time, FWISD has operated the program primarily with local funds and still continues to do so. This financial commitment to the program is the primary reason that the overall program has evolved to where it is today.)
      Note: Although INA is the recipient of a $3.75 million Texas Title I Priority Schools (TTIPS) Grant (to begin in 2011-2012), FWISD’s current level of funding to INA is not expected to diminish.
      Type of Language Program: ESL
      Type of Community: Urban/metropolitan
      How Families Learn of Program: Upon enrollment in FWISD, families of students who speak a language other than English are referred by the enrolling schools to the FWISD Student Placement Center (an intake center which assesses students and recommends program placement). The SPC explains the INA program to parents of eligible students and secures parent approval to place students in the program. Various community refugee resettlement agencies also refer students to the SPC and to INA. Notices are also placed in various newspapers and businesses (as well as on the FWISD website and on radio/television outlets) informing parents of SPC services and FWISD programs.
      Students Assigned From:
      • More than one school
      • An in-take/assessment center
      Name(s) of the Home School(s): Middle Schools: Daggett, J. P. Elder, and Wm. James. High Schools: Amon Carter-Riverside, Arlington Heights, Diamond Hill-Jarvis, Eastern Hills, Polytechnic, North Side, R.L. Paschal, and South Hills
      Funding Sources:
      • Federal: Title III, SIP
      • State: Bilingual/ESL State Supplemental Funds
      • District: Fort Worth ISD Foundational Funds (Local/State)
      • Other: Various Grants, Texas Title I Priority Schools (TTIPS) Grant (in 2011-12)
       Other District Language Support Programs: If parents do not approve placement in the newcomer program, the students are then offered placement in the Language Center program (the next level of the ESL program) on their home campus or nearby campus. If parents do not accept placement in the Language Center program, the students are then served in the general education program on their home campus. (This is considered a "full denial" of ESL services.)
  • Program Design Features
    • Program Location:
      • Separate site from home school(s)
       Length of Day:
      • Full-day Program
       Length of Program:
      • 1-year program
      • Other: (2-year program for pre-literate students)
       Average Length of stay: 2 semester(s)
      Maximum Length of stay: 4 semester(s)
      Average Class Size: 15 student(s)
      Entry Criteria: Immigrant status; non-English-speaker (EOLPT score of A or B); 0-1 year in U.S.
  • Newcomer Student Demographics
    • Number of Newcomer Students in Program: 425
      Age Range of Students: 11 - 19
      Number of Countries Represented: 22
      Most Common Countries:
      • Mexico
      • Myanmar
      • Bhutan
      • Congo
      • Iraq
       Number of Non-English Languages Represented: 20
      Most Common Student Languages:
      • Spanish
      • Nepali
      • Swahili
      • Burmese/Karen
      • Arabic
       Percentage of Students with Interrupted Formal Schooling: 23%
      Percentage of Students with Free or Reduced Lunch: 94%
  • Instruction
    • Languages Used for Instruction: English
      Courses Provided by the Newcomer Program:
      • Sheltered content in English
        • math
        • science
        • social studies
        • other: Health (taught in PE classes in middle school), Art, Keyboarding, P.E.
      • ESL or English language development
      • Cross-cultural/orientation to the United States
      • Reading intervention
      • School/study skills
      Typical Newcomer Student Schedule: Middle School (educated student): ESL, ESL/Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies plus P.E. and/or Art; Middle School (pre-literate student): Basic ESL, ESL/Reading, Basic Math, Math, Basic Science and Basic Social Studies on alternate days, plus Art and/or P.E.; High School (educated student): ESL, ESL/Reading, World Geography, Algebra I (two periods per day), ESOL-Science; High School (pre-literate students): Introductory ESL, Introductory ESL/Reading, Basic Math, Problem Solving, Reading LC for ESL Students, Keyboarding Note: For several years, INA has not been able to offer more than five high school credits; however, as a result of the TTIPS Grant and additional changes, beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, INA, by lengthening its school day and reworking its schedule, will offer eight high school credits. These changes will also allow for the “double blocking” of all core subjects in both middle and high school to maximize instruction for students.
      Literacy Development Practices: Explicit teaching of phonics plus phonics in context; guided reading using specified literacy/learning strategies; explicit/structured teaching of vocabulary plus unstructured (acquisition) of vocabulary; periodic self-selected reading; language experience approach plus process writing
      Literacy Materials Used: Visuals, word banks/walls, journals/logs, environmental print, high-interest books (various lexile/age levels), content-area books, articles, newspapers, state-adopted materials such as High Point and Edge, various other materials
      High School Courses Receiving Core Credit: If not in the pre-literate strand: ESOL I, Algebra I, World Geography. If in the pre-literate strand, second year: ESOL 1, Algebra I, World Geography.
      High School Courses Receiving Elective Credit: If not in the pre-literate strand: ESOL-Science, ESL/Reading I. If in the pre-literate strand, first year: Basic Math, Problem Solving, Introductory ESL, Introductory ESL/Reading, Reading LC for ESL Students, Keyboarding.
      Credit Recovery or Online Learning Courses: FWISD provides Credit by Exam (CBE) as well as summer courses (which are provided at no cost to newcomer students).
      Additional Learning Opportunities: Summer School credit courses through FWISD and the Summer Enrichment Program at INA are provided at no cost to newcomer students. INA students also participate in Saturday Enrichment Days throughout the school year. Note: The new schedule for 2011-2012 places an advisory/club period in the middle of the school day (instead of after school) which will result in all students having access to these opportunities.
      Ancillary Services Offered Students:
      • Tutoring
      • Other: School nurse on site, LINK Crew (student mentoring program)
       5- or 6- Year Program Available for High School Newcomer Students: FWISD has both 4-year and 5-year plans for newcomer students entering at grade 9. Both plans involve credit accrual beginning with year 1 and continuing until year 4 or 5, and both plans involve summer credit courses. Four-year plans usually apply to those students identified as "educated" (in their home countries) upon entry; 5-year plans apply to those students identified as "pre-literate" upon entry. It is possible, however, for students to move from path to path, depending on courses taken/passed, English proficiency acquired, attendance, and performance on state-required TAKS tests. Both paths involve both required and elective credits, and both paths allow for graduation from high school under the "Recommended" or "Distinguished Achievement" diploma, although some students do opt to graduate under the less demanding "Minimum" diploma.
  • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Placement Measures
      Reading:
      Idea Proficiency Test (Spanish), Informal Reading Tasks (languages other than Spanish as appropriate/possible)
      English language proficiency:
      Idea Proficiency Test
      Content:
      Locally developed math inventory test (based on curriculum tests), Interviews (as possible) with students and parents about courses taken in home countries
      Progress Measures
      Reading:
      Reading checklists, curriculum-based reading tasks (specified at certain points in the curriculum framework), Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System - Reading (TELPAS-Reading) test administered annually in spring
      English language proficiency:
      Idea Proficiency Test - administered initially and annually in spring; TELPAS Listening/Speaking/Writing Assessments - conducted annually in spring
      Content:
      Curriculum-based assessments for math, science, and social studies administered under accommodated conditions every six weeks
      Achievement Measures
      State standards tests:
      In Texas, newcomer students in grades 3-10 are exempted from the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test for up to 3 years (unless they score Level 3 or 4 on TELPAS-Reading). Under NCLB, however, LEP-exempt students in their first, second, and third years of enrollment in U.S. schools (with any part of enrollment in a school year counting as a full year of enrollment) take LAT-Math (grades 6-8 & 10) and LAT-Science (grades 8 and 10) -- which is actually the TAKS tests administered under linguistically accommodated conditions. Exempt students also take LAT-Reading in years 2 and 3. Scores on these tests do not count for state accountability but do count for AYP (federal) accountability. Note: Beginning in 2011-2012, state assessments will change as will the exemption criteria for LEP students.
      Other assessments:
      Informal instructional checklists, portfolios, anecdotal records, student self-assessments, parent interviews (as possible)
      Program Evaluation: Test scores (especially TELPAS and EOLPT scores) for newcomer students are included in the district's annual evaluation of the Bilingual/ESL program. The Fort Worth ISD Accountability and Data Quality office prepares the annual evaluation.
  • Student Transition and Monitoring
    • Type of Program Students Exit Into:
      • ESL
       Exit Criteria: Most students exit at the end of two full semesters of instruction. (Students screened and verified upon initial assessment as pre-literate by the campus LPAC can remain at INA for up to four full semesters.) Students demonstrating accelerated language and content knowledge/skill progress can exit after one semester with LPAC approval. (Various instructional and formal assessments are used to document the performance of students exiting after only one semester of instruction.)
      Measures to Facilitate Student Transition Out of the Newcomer Program: Guided visits to home middle or high schools, with orientation activities provided by the home school
      Staff from International Newcomer Academy and the receiving home campus work collaboratively to ensure smooth transition for the students from INA to the home campus. Once on the home campus, the LPAC chairperson (who is usually a counselor or assistant principal) has responsibility for ensuring that the newcomer students are provided appropriate information to allow them to access appropriate courses and make decisions about postsecondary options.
      Postsecondary Options for High School Newcomers:
      • GED
      • Adult Basic Education
      • Community College
      • Other: Return to home country (usually Mexico)
  • Program Staffing and Professional Development
    • Total Number of Program Administrators: 3
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 3
      Total Number of Teachers: 44
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 44
      Criteria to Teach in Newcomer Program: Teachers must either be ESL- or bilingual-certified or have evidence of extensive training in sheltered instruction.
      Total Number of Paraprofessionals: 10
      Total Number of Resource Teachers: 1
      Total Number of Guidance Counselors for School:
      Social Worker/Family Liaison: Yes.
      Guidance Counselors for Program: Yes, 2
      Total Number of Staff Who Speak in One of the Student Native Languages: 21
      Languages that Staff Speak in Addition to English: Spanish, Vietnamese, Albanian, Russian, Swahili
      Professional Development Topics for Teachers and Staff: Sheltered Instruction, Literacy Strategies, Learning Strategies, Cooperative Learning, General ESL Strategies, Language Acquisition, Language Assessment, Cultural Diversity, Refugee Issues, Curriculum Mapping, State Standards (both content and ESL), English Language Proficiency Standards, Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), Linguistically Accommodated Testing (LAT), FWISD Curriculum Frameworks, Principles of Learning (from Pittsburgh Institute for Learning), Rigor and Relevance in Instruction, Disciplinary Literacy, Instructional Teaming, Positive Discipline, Legal Requirements (for LM Students), Individual/Group Counseling and Mentoring. Note: TTIPS Grant funds will be used to implement a strong professional development component (led by WestEd's Quality Teaching for English Learners – QTEL) for both INA leadership and teachers and sustained over three years to involve (1) on-going, job-embedded PD focused on raising academic rigor while using appropriate language scaffolds; (2) development/use of assessments that assess both language and content; and (3) development (by INA staff and consultants) of transparent appraisal process/instruments.
  • Connecting Families and Social Capital Networks
    • School Services Offered to Parents and Families:
      • Parent outreach
      • Adult basic education
      • Adult ESL courses
      • GED
      • Information sharing with community organizations
      • Other: TTIPS Grant funds will be used to implement a strong community/parent involvement program designed to engage parents in school affairs and to secure appropriate community support for parents/students/school.
      Newcomer Program Partnerships:
      Through FWISD's Adopt a School project, INA has a partnership with Modular Design. The company provides incentives for six-weeks/semester grades/attendance and for the Accelerated Reading Program. The company has also initiated a writing contest for a college scholarship and has lent its support to INA’s Service Leadership Projects. INA also has collaborative projects with the Fort Worth Transit Authority, the Fort Worth Library, Texas Wesleyan University, United Way, and Sister Cities. INA also works collaboratively with Catholic Charities and the World Relief Association. Both of these organizations are refugee resettlement agencies which provide various types of outreach, counseling, tutoring, and general support for refugee students and their families.
      Social Services for Families:
      Social services include general orientation for families to the U.S. and to FWISD schools; vision and hearing screening for students; assistance in locating needed medical/health services; connections with social agencies that provide assistance with clothing, food, management of money, jobs; publications that list free clinics for immunizations as well as names of agencies that provide medical services at no/reduced cost.
      Methods to Inform Families of Services Available:
      Families receive information through the FWISD Student Placement Center (when students enroll in the FWISD), through INA administrators, teachers, nurse, and counselors, and through community agencies such as Catholic Charities and World Relief Association.
      Methods to Inform Service Agencies of Newcomer Program:
      Social service agencies may be contacted directly by Student Placement Center, INA staff (on behalf of a family), or by Catholic Charities or World Relief. The agencies may themselves contact INA to offer information on the services they provide after reading about the program on the district website or after being told about the program through contacts they have in general with the district.