Secondary Newcomer Programs in the U.S.

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ELL Newcomer Center at Tates Creek Middle School
Program Address:
1105 Centre Parkway
Lexington, KY 40517
Phone: (859) 381-3052
lisa.hillenbrand@fayette.kyschools.us
www.fcps.net
Contact Person:
Katie O'Daniel
ESL teacher
kathyrn.odaniel@fayette.kyschools.us

  • Program Information
    • Information provided for school year: 2008-2009
      Year Program Started: 2007
      School/Grade Levels: Middle school site(s)
      Program Description:
      The ELL Newcomer Program is a 1-year, program-within-a-school at Tates Creek Middle School (TCMS). It serves students from 11 middle schools in a self-contained classroom (except for electives) with the purpose of teaching students English and cultural information about the school, city, and country. The goal is to give students that bridging period necessary to make the adjustments to their new country in a non-threatening environment. We work with the local Kentucky Refugee Minstries to support the students and their families, as well as with Transylvania University to promote after school tutoring and social activities. If a student has adjusted to school and English before the year is up, that student can be transitioned to their home school's ESL program. A teacher evaluation is the criteria for transition from the newcomer program. The program cap is strictly kept below 20 students and generally doesn't exceed 15. The teacher is certified in ESL/Language Arts and follows a content based curriculum. Students participate in school field trips and share electives as well as lunch with their TCMS peers.
      Newcomer Student Definition:
      Newcomer students are new to the U.S. with interrupted schooling (2 years or more) or lack of formal schooling. Priority is given to those who are from war-torn countries.
      Aspects of Program Working Well:
      The safe atmosphere in which the students can learn and be comfortable is obvious upon the first visit. The students are learning content as well as the English language.
      Type of Language Program: ESL
      Type of Community: Urban/metropolitan
      How Families Learn of Program: ELL office informs them when the students come in for WIDA W-APT testing.
      Students Assigned From:
      • An in-take/assessment center
      Name(s) of the Home School(s): Beaumont MS; Bryan Station Traditional Magnet MS; Crawford MS; Edythe J. Hayes MS; Jessie M. Clark MS; Leestown MS; Lexington Traditional Magnet MS; Morton MS; Southern MS; Tates Creek MS; Winburn MS
      Funding Sources:
      • Federal: Title III
      • District
       Other District Language Support Programs: We have regular ESL programs in 10 of 12 middle schools.
  • Program Design Features
    • Program Location:
      • Program-within-a-school
       Length of Day:
      • Full-day Program
       Length of Program:
      • 1-year program
       Average Length of stay: 2 semester(s)
      Maximum Length of stay: 2 semester(s)
      Average Class Size: 13 student(s)
      Entry Criteria: New to U.S., interrupted schooling of 2+ years or lack of formal schooling
  • Newcomer Student Demographics
    • Number of Newcomer Students in Program: 9
      Age Range of Students: 11-14
      Number of Countries Represented: 4
      Most Common Countries:
      • Tanzania
      • Congo
      • Mexico
      • Liberia
      • Iraq
       Number of Non-English Languages Represented:
      Most Common Student Languages:
      • Kirundi
      • Swahili
      • Spanish
      • Lingala
      • Arabic
      Percentage of Students with Interrupted Formal Schooling: 100%
      Percentage of Students with Free or Reduced Lunch: 100%
  • Instruction
    • Languages Used for Instruction: English
      Courses Provided by the Newcomer Program:
      • Sheltered content in English
        • math
        • science
        • social studies
        • language arts
        • health
        • other: Introduction to American Culture
      • ESL or English language development
      • Cross-cultural/orientation to the United States
      • Reading intervention
      • School/study skills
      Typical Newcomer Student Schedule: 7 periods daily: ELD, math, science, social studies, 2 electives (e.g., art, music), Introduction to American culture
      Literacy Development Practices: Practices that provide phonemic awareness and content vocabulary, and help fill in the gaps in literacy and background knowledge. We use a variety of materials.
      Literacy Materials Used: The center uses the "Great Leaps" reading program; Access newcomer series for science and U.S. history; Hampton Brown readers, computer reading plus; English in a Flash, test based materials; and ESL content that includes the literacy skills students already have.
      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: After school tutoring in a joint effort with Translyvania University
      Ancillary Services Offered Students:
      • Title I
      • Special Education
      • Health (physical)
      • Health (mental)
      • Tutoring
       5- or 6- Year Program Available for High School Newcomer Students: N/A
  • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Placement Measures
      Reading:
      English language proficiency:
      WIDA W-APT
      Content:
      Progress Measures
      Reading:
      English language proficiency:
      ACCESS for ELLs (WIDA)
      Content:
      MAP/PAS
      Achievement Measures
      State standards tests:
      Only for participation: reading and math. They must take ACCESS for ELLs.
      Other assessments:
      Formal/informal classroom assessments
      Program Evaluation: We evaluate teacher instruction and analyze progress on the ACCESS tests.
  • Student Transition and Monitoring
    • Type of Program Students Exit Into:
      • ESL
       Exit Criteria: Students exit after 1 year or sooner based on teacher observation/assessment.
      Measures to Facilitate Student Transition Out of the Newcomer Program: Middle to high school program provides specific support for the special needs that the refugee population has related to educational, social, mental and emotional issues.
      ESL teachers/ESL content specialists
  • Program Staffing and Professional Development
    • Total Number of Program Administrators: 1
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 1
      Total Number of Teachers: 1
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 1
      Criteria to Teach in Newcomer Program: Primary certification in Language Arts and ESL endorsement
      Total Number of Paraprofessionals: 0
      Total Number of Resource Teachers: 0
      Total Number of Guidance Counselors for School: 2
      Social Worker/Family Liaison: Yes. Kentucky Refugee Ministries (KRM)
      Guidance Counselors for Program: No
      Total Number of Staff Who Speak in One of the Student Native Languages: 0
      Languages that Staff Speak in Addition to English:
      Professional Development Topics for Teachers and Staff: ELL topics (e.g., second language acquisition), literacy, collaboration
  • Connecting Families and Social Capital Networks
    • School Services Offered to Parents and Families:
      • Parent outreach
      • Orientation to USA
      • Native language literacy courses
      • Adult basic education
      • Information sharing with community organizations
      Newcomer Program Partnerships:
      Kentucky Refugee Ministeries (KRM), Transylvania University, University of Kentucky
      Social Services for Families:
      Health, housing, refugee services
      Methods to Inform Families of Services Available:
      Direct personal contact, phone calls, letters
      Methods to Inform Service Agencies of Newcomer Program:
      KRM and ESL teacher