Secondary Newcomer Programs in the U.S.

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Grade 4–7 Newcomer Program
Program Address:
25 Union Street
Marlborough, MA 01752
Phone: (508) 460-3502
www.mps-edu.org/
Contact Person:
Stephanie Scerra
Marlborough Public Schools ELE Coordinator
DEC, 17 Washington Street, Marlborough, MA 01752
(508) 460-3555
sscerra@mps-edu.org

  • Program Information
    • Information provided for school year: 2008-2009
      Year Program Started: 2002
      School/Grade Levels: Middle school site(s)
      Program Description:
      This program-within-a-school at the 4–7 School, is delivered through mixed grade level classrooms--one for Grades 4 and 5, another for Grades 6–7. Most students are part of the program for a full day. The program uses a content/theme-based ELD curriculum based on the MA English Language Proficiency Benchmarks & Outcomes, addressing all four language skills. All core texts are research-based to promote second language development. We have licensed ESL/ELL teachers and give the students access to bilingual support. For two periods students receive English language development. The remainer of the day, they attend content classes taught by ESL certified teachers in math and U.S. history. Most students remain for 1 year.
      Newcomer Student Definition:
      Newcomer students are new arrivals to the country with very little or no English. We also include students who are within 1–2 years of arrival in our district with continued Beginner designation on the Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA).
      Aspects of Program Working Well:
      We are promoting English language development and provide content through sheltered English. We have Spanish for native speakers and Portuguese for native speakers classes at the high school which lets students develop their native language skills.
      Students can obtain a world language credit in high school.
      Type of Language Program: ESL
      Type of Community: Suburban
      How Families Learn of Program: Families are informed of their child's placement in the newcomer/beginner classroom by a letter home.
      Students Assigned From:
      • More than one school
       Funding Sources:
      • Federal: Title III Grant
      • State
       Other District Language Support Programs: n/a
  • Program Design Features
    • Program Location:
      • Program-within-a-school
       Length of Day:
      • Full-day Program
       Length of Program:
      • 1-year program
      • Other: Generally one year; students may come back for part of the next year
      Average Length of stay: 40 week(s)
      Maximum Length of stay:
      Average Class Size: 10 student(s)
      Entry Criteria: Students newly arrived from other countries with very little or no English; current students still scoring as Beginner on MEPA
  • Newcomer Student Demographics
    • Number of Newcomer Students in Program: 15
      Age Range of Students: 9-13
      Number of Countries Represented: 8
      Most Common Countries:
      • Brazil
      • Puerto Rico
      • Mexico
      • Iran
      • Haiti
       Number of Non-English Languages Represented: 4
      Most Common Student Languages:
      • Spanish
      • Portuguese
      • Farsi
      • Haitian Creole
       Percentage of Students with Interrupted Formal Schooling: 50%
      Percentage of Students with Free or Reduced Lunch: 99%
  • Instruction
    • Languages Used for Instruction: English
      Courses Provided by the Newcomer Program:
      • Sheltered content in English
        • math
        • social studies
      • ESL or English language development
      Typical Newcomer Student Schedule: ESL/ELD: 12 periods/week; Math: 6 periods/week; Social studies: 5 periods/week
      Literacy Development Practices: We work on oral academic language and we use phonics programs for English language learners. We work on basic literacy.
      Literacy Materials Used: Phonics Street, Avenues, Sidewalks
      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: Newcomer students are invited to attend the Summer Camp program.
      Ancillary Services Offered Students:
      • Title I
      • Special Education
      • Gifted and talented
      • Health (physical)
      • Health (mental)
      • Career counseling
      • Tutoring
      • Other: Social Reading support
       5- or 6- Year Program Available for High School Newcomer Students: N/A
  • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Placement Measures
      Reading:
      LAS Links, IPT
      English language proficiency:
      MEPA, IPT
      Content:
      N/a
      Progress Measures
      Reading:
      GRADE; MCAS
      English language proficiency:
      MELA-Oral, MEPA Reading/Writing; LAS Reading/Writing
      Content:
      MCAS -- for students here for more than one year
      Achievement Measures
      State standards tests:
      ELA is optional for students in their first year. MCAS is for students in the district for more than one year.
      Other assessments:
      Students are assessed through daily routines, observations, and journal writing.
      Program Evaluation: No formal evaluation
  • Student Transition and Monitoring
    • Type of Program Students Exit Into:
      • ESL
       Exit Criteria: We examine scores on MELA-O and MEPA R/W plus report card grades and classwork.
      Measures to Facilitate Student Transition Out of the Newcomer Program: We are a Grade 4-7 school. Students are transitioned into Structured English Immersion classrooms with continued ESL/ELD instruction and get support by ESL staff in the content classrooms.
      ELL Resource Specialist
      Postsecondary Options for High School Newcomers:
      • Technical or Trade School
      • Other: Students dropping out is a concern.
  • Program Staffing and Professional Development
    • Total Number of Program Administrators: 0
      Full Time in Newcomer Program:
      Total Number of Teachers: 2
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 2
      Criteria to Teach in Newcomer Program: State licensure
      Total Number of Paraprofessionals: 2
      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: 2
      Languages that Staff Speak in Addition to English: Spanish, Portuguese
      Professional Development Topics for Teachers and Staff: Structured English Immersion (SEI) training and training focused around reading and writing.
  • 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
      Newcomer Program Partnerships:
      N/A
      Social Services for Families:
      Yes, we refer through guidance, adjustment counselor.
      Methods to Inform Families of Services Available:
      Bilingual parent network, churches
      Methods to Inform Service Agencies of Newcomer Program:
      Communication from counselors