Secondary Newcomer Programs in the U.S.

<< Back to results

Port of Entry Program, Union City H.S.
Program Address:
2500 Kennedy Boulevard
Union City, NJ 07087
Phone: (201) 348-5900
cabbato@union-city.k12.nj.us
union-city.k12.nj.us
Contact Person:
Christopher Abbato
Bilingual At-Risk Leader
(973) 652-1700

  • Program Information
    • Information provided for school year: 2010-2011
      Year Program Started: 1999
      School/Grade Levels: High school site(s)
      Program Description:
      The Port-of Entry program at Union City High School is a full-day program-within-a-school. Students become familiar with the rules and regulations of a structured school environment, are provided with a firm academic foundation, develop English language proficiency, and graduate. Initial instruction includes native language literacy and native language content area classes along with English language arts and ESL. Through acculturation, students become functioning, productive members of society in general and our community in particular. Students generally remain in this program for up to four semesters. In sum, the primary instructional focus of the P.O.E. Program is to teach students English while helping them acquire basic academic skills and concepts in the content areas that will allow them to transition to, and perform successfully in, a regular school setting.
      Newcomer Student Definition:
      A newcomer is any new entrant with little to no basic skills in his/her native language and is age appropriate for secondary school with interrupted or no education in his/her native country.
      Aspects of Program Working Well:
      The structured environment we provide enables the students to work at their fullest potential before transitioning to regular bilingual classes.
      Type of Language Program: Bilingual
      Type of Community: Urban/metropolitan
      How Families Learn of Program: Central registration at the district
      Students Assigned From:
      • An in-take/assessment center
       Funding Sources:
      • Federal
      • State
      • District
       Other District Language Support Programs: Bilingual programs
  • Program Design Features
    • Program Location:
      • Program-within-a-school
       Length of Day:
      • Full-day Program
       Length of Program:
      • 1-year plus summer program
       Average Length of stay: 4 semester(s)
      Maximum Length of stay: 4 semester(s)
      Average Class Size: 15 student(s)
      Entry Criteria: The student has never attended school and is age appropriate for admission. Student has had interrupted education in his/her native country. Student scores below basic levels in mathematics and native language proficiency. Student speaks little to no English. Student has no transcript or cumulative grades from his/her country.
  • Newcomer Student Demographics
    • Number of Newcomer Students in Program: 45
      Age Range of Students: 14 - 17
      Number of Countries Represented: 8
      Most Common Countries:
      • Dominican Republic
      • El Salvador
      • Honduras
      • Cuba
      • Colombia
       Number of Non-English Languages Represented: 1
      Most Common Student Languages:
      • Spanish
       Percentage of Students with Interrupted Formal Schooling: 50%
      Percentage of Students with Free or Reduced Lunch: 100%
  • Instruction
    • Languages Used for Instruction: English and Spanish
      Courses Provided by the Newcomer Program:
      • Sheltered content in English
        • language arts
      • Content Instruction in native language(s)
        • math
        • science
        • social studies
        • language arts
        • health
        • other: Career exploration, Junior ROTC
      • ESL or English language development
      • Native language literacy
      • Career/vocational education/apprenticeships
      Typical Newcomer Student Schedule: One period for each class listed above with a double period of English daily.
      Literacy Development Practices: Phonics emphasis, reading immersion, reading strategy instruction (e.g., sequence, cause-effect, predicting, scanning), scaffolding for ESL classes and native language classes
      Literacy Materials Used: Content area materials with an emphasis on mathematics and English language acquisition. Hi-lo readers.
      High School Courses Receiving Core Credit: English (10 credits for a double period); Science, Math, Social Studies, Spanish (5 credits each subject)
      High School Courses Receiving Elective Credit: Junior ROTC (5 credits), Career Exploration (5 credits)
      Credit Recovery or Online Learning Courses: Not at this time.
      Additional Learning Opportunities: A summer program (4 weeks) with ESL, Social Studies, Science and Math is available before students enter 10th grade. There is an extended day program after school for tutoring. We offer a before school program (Period 0) for gym that frees up time for students to take an elective during the regular day.
      Ancillary Services Offered Students:
      • Title I
      • Special Education
      • Day care
      • Career counseling
      • Tutoring
      • Other: The others above may be offered through school
       5- or 6- Year Program Available for High School Newcomer Students: No
  • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Placement Measures
      Reading:
      Maculaitis II
      English language proficiency:
      Maculaitis II
      Content:
      School/department generated assessments
      Progress Measures
      Reading:
      ACCESS for ELLs
      English language proficiency:
      ACCESS for ELLs
      Content:
      NJ PASS exam
      Achievement Measures
      State standards tests:
      Yes, NJ Pass Math and Language Arts
      Other assessments:
      Project-based learning, educational improvement plans, teacher generated assessments.
      Program Evaluation: Yes, we track student progress across grade levels and examine the ratio of newcomers to graduates four years later.
  • Student Transition and Monitoring
    • Type of Program Students Exit Into:
      • Bilingual
       Exit Criteria: Finishing and passing all classes required of 9th grade students. Teacher recommendation.
      Measures to Facilitate Student Transition Out of the Newcomer Program: Students are part of their home school. Gym, lunch, and Junior ROTC are taken with the general education population.
      The Bilingual At-Risk Leader helps with the transition process.
      Postsecondary Options for High School Newcomers:
      • Technical or Trade School
      • Community College
      • Find a job
      • Other: Adult ESL classes, University
  • Program Staffing and Professional Development
    • Total Number of Program Administrators: 1
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 0
      Total Number of Teachers: 8
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 2
      Criteria to Teach in Newcomer Program: ESL certification, Bilingual content area certification
      Total Number of Paraprofessionals: 0
      Total Number of Resource Teachers: 0
      Total Number of Guidance Counselors for School: 1
      Social Worker/Family Liaison: Yes. Family outreach, community liaison, weekly student workshop
      Guidance Counselors for Program: No
      Total Number of Staff Who Speak in One of the Student Native Languages: 8
      Languages that Staff Speak in Addition to English: Spanish
      Professional Development Topics for Teachers and Staff: SIOP Model training, on-site for all ESL/Bilingual teachers & off-site for selected teachers at William Paterson University. ACCESS test score interpretation. ISA small learning community development.
  • Connecting Families and Social Capital Networks
    • School Services Offered to Parents and Families:
      • Parent outreach
      • Orientation to USA
      • Adult ESL courses
      • GED
      • Information sharing with community organizations
      Newcomer Program Partnerships:
      North Hudson Community Action Corporation
      Social Services for Families:
      Employment and health services referrals are available. Also a school based clinic opened to the public in June 2010.
      Methods to Inform Families of Services Available:
      Central registration, parent meetings, and flyers sent home
      Methods to Inform Service Agencies of Newcomer Program:
      The Parent/Community Liaison contacts service agencies.