Secondary Newcomer Programs in the U.S.

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Urban Assembly New York Harbor School
Program Address:
10 South Street, Battery Maritime Building – Slip 7
New York, NY 10004
Phone: (212) 458-0801
mbmcolon@msn.com
newyorkharborschool.org
Contact Person:
Marybelle Marrero-Colón
ESL Coordinator
(917) 539-7382
mbmcolon@msn.com

  • Program Information
    • Information provided for school year: 2010-2011
      Year Program Started: 2003
      School/Grade Levels: High school site(s)
      Program Description:
      The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School (UANYHS) is a small high school that services all student groups. Located on Governors Island in New York City's harbor, it offers College Preparatory and Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs focused on hands-on, inquiry-based learning related to New York’s Maritime experience and stimulate curiosity, critical thinking, interdependence, and vision among the students, all of which lead to improved academic performance. The UANYHS offers a full-day, plus after-school (5 hours) program-within-a-school, There is also a 3-day to 1 week summer orientation program. Students may remain in the program for up to four semesters. Approximately 12-14% of the student body are ELL students, close to 20% are former ELLs, about 1% are Special Education ELL students, and close to half are either 1st or 2nd generation immigrants. Some programs focused on math and reading skills are held early in the morning before the school day begins. Some programs are held after school. One such program focuses on Aquaculture, which is one of our Career and Technology (CTE) subareas; the other is homework help for the general content areas. In addition, our program offers SCUBA, Marine Technology, and several other programs that combine Academic English opportunities and extracurricular activities. The focus of both our Academic and CTE programs is towards the NY Harbor and surrounding waterways & environmental conservation as well as the acculturation of ELL students into NYC culture, language, and society. Our school is designed around field classes. The 9th grade students all have a field class that requires them to work 1 day every other week outside the school. This is a survey class that works with/on the Hudson River and the different waterways in NYC. It centers on marine science (i.e., water testing, animal life, plant life, water conservation), the study of the estuary system of NYC, the history of NYC ports, Civics and Economics. It offers a credit in Science & Social Studies. The 10th grade students begin to move into the Career and Technology Education courses, such as marine technology. They learn about boats, navigation, and the commercial aspect of maritime studies. They build their own boats and put them out to sail. The 11th grade centers in one of three areas: advanced marine technology, marine policy (legal and governmental aspects), scuba, or aquaculture. All these lead to college preparation or career choices. The 12th grade follows the same choices as the 11th, but then expands to an internship program.
      Newcomer Student Definition:
      Newcomers are identified in three ways: 1) Students who are identified as newcomers per NYS parameters with NYSESLAT/LAB-R testing & Home Language Surveys. 2) Students who enter NYC public schools having been bilingual &/or ESL students in another state for 2 years or less along with results of Home Language Surveys + LAB-R testing. 3) Students who are new entrants from another country (for 2 years or less) along with results of Home Language Surveys + LAB-R testing.
      Aspects of Program Working Well:
      The best part is not so much the academic classes, but rather the social interactions and assimilation process. Students' relationships with peers and faculty are smoothed out and supported for successful personal progress. Another aspect working well is the student's ability to complete the content area work through the extended day program. In addition the ELL students are openly included in all Maritime activities such as Rowing Team Competitions, Sports & Clubs, School Government, Internship programs, Study Abroad, and community based organization Activities and professional opportunities.
      Type of Language Program: ESL
      Type of Community: Urban/metropolitan
      How Families Learn of Program: Many ELL students enter our school through the high school application process, where they would rank our school among other choices. Newcomers are generally sent to our school through the DOE placement center. In addition, we receive various students who are family members or friends of students who are already enrolled in the program and request admittance. In these cases we do everything possible to accommodate them, but ultimately they are sent back to the placement office with a verification of whether or not there is space available.
      Students Assigned From:
      • More than one school
      • An in-take/assessment center
      Name(s) of the Home School(s): Urban Assembly New York Harbor School
      Funding Sources:
      • Federal: Title III, Title I
      • State: CR-Part 154
       Other District Language Support Programs: All ESL students receive appropriate ESL Classes (direct instruction) as per NYS regulations plus additional push-in (Team Teaching) support in specific classes such as Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science.
  • Program Design Features
    • Program Location:
      • Program-within-a-school
       Length of Day:
      • Full-day Program
      • After-school program: 5 hour(s)
      • Other: Early morning classes
       Length of Program:
      • Summer program: 1 week(s)
      • 1-year program
       Average Length of stay: 4 semester(s)
      Maximum Length of stay: 4 semester(s)
      Average Class Size: 25 student(s)
      Entry Criteria: Newcomers are defined in 3 ways: 1) Students who are identified as per NYS parameters with NYSESLAT/LAB-R testing & Home Language Surveys. 2) Students are entering NYC public schools and have been bilingual &/or ESL students in another state(for 2 years or less) + results of Home Language Surveys + LAB-R testing. 3) Students are new entrants from another country (for 2 years or less) + results of Home Language Surveys + LAB-R testing.
  • Newcomer Student Demographics
    • Number of Newcomer Students in Program: 4
      Age Range of Students: 13-17
      Number of Countries Represented: 5
      Most Common Countries:
      • Dominican Republic
      • Mexico
      • Ecuador
      • Puerto Rico
      • Haiti
       Number of Non-English Languages Represented: 1
      Most Common Student Languages:
      • Spanish
      • Haitian Creole
       Percentage of Students with Interrupted Formal Schooling: 2%
      Percentage of Students with Free or Reduced Lunch: 100%
  • Instruction
    • Languages Used for Instruction: English with native language support where applicable.
      Courses Provided by the Newcomer Program:
      • Sheltered content in English
        • math
        • science
        • social studies
        • language arts
      • ESL or English language development
      • Cross-cultural/orientation to the United States
      • Reading intervention
      • Other courses: Advisory Class with a general education teacher as the students' academic advisor for the year.
      Typical Newcomer Student Schedule: 10th Grade ESL - Periods 1 & 2; ESL & Team Taught U.S. History; Field Class/Marine Technology - Team Taught plus 1 Teacher for native language support; ESL Trained/Native Language Support Science; Math with teacher trained in sheltered instruction; Advisory, Lunch, & Phys Ed. (newcomers, ELLs and general education students grouped heterogeneously); Extended day tutoring or extracurricular activities (e.g., SCUBA, Marine Technology, Aquaculture, or Rowing)
      Literacy Development Practices: Q-Tel, Wilson, & Differentiated Instruction
      Literacy Materials Used: Variety - depends on grade, proficiency level, and programming. Materials are aligned with the general education curriculum. Some native language texts are available.
      High School Courses Receiving Core Credit: All content courses receive full credit as per NYS regulations.
      Credit Recovery or Online Learning Courses: Credit recovery is available to all ELLs in our school.
      Additional Learning Opportunities: Yes, most programs (summer school, etc.) are arranged through the NYCDOE. However, extended day activities and some early morning classes are offered.
      Ancillary Services Offered Students:
      • Title I
      • Special Education
      • Tutoring
      • Other: Extended day programs, Field classes
       5- or 6- Year Program Available for High School Newcomer Students: No
  • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Placement Measures
      Reading:
      LAB-R in English & Spanish
      English language proficiency:
      LAB-R in English & Spanish & New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) for those here 1 year or more.
      Content:
      N/A
      Progress Measures
      Reading:
      LAB-R in English & Spanish
      English language proficiency:
      LAB-R in English & Spanish & New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) for those here 1 year or more.
      Content:
      N/A
      Achievement Measures
      State standards tests:
      Yes. All NYS Regents Exams in the content areas (available in the native language), the English Regents, & the NYSESLAT.
      Other assessments:
      Portfolios, classwork, student interviews, class grades, and charting skill progression.
      Program Evaluation: Yes, as part of the full ESL program assessment as indicated by the school's CEP. In addition, the ESL Coordinator maintains statistics and qualitative information on a yearly basis in order to present to the administration and staff.
  • Student Transition and Monitoring
    • Type of Program Students Exit Into:
      • ESL
       Exit Criteria: We consider three things: 1 - Year in program (they exit if more than 2 years in a language program); 2 - Scores in the content areas; 3 - Results on standardized measures such as the NYSESLAT & NYS Regents exams. Students leave the newcomers language program and become part of the general education program at the Harbor School.
      Measures to Facilitate Student Transition Out of the Newcomer Program: Since our newcomers are considered part of the regular ESL program, the transition process is relatively easy.
      The ESL Coordinator helps with the transition.
      Postsecondary Options for High School Newcomers:
      • GED
      • Community College
      • 4-yr college or university
      • Find a job
  • Program Staffing and Professional Development
    • Total Number of Program Administrators: 1
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 1
      Total Number of Teachers: 3
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 2
      Criteria to Teach in Newcomer Program: Yes, as per NYS regulations
      Total Number of Paraprofessionals: 1
      Total Number of Resource Teachers: 1
      Total Number of Guidance Counselors for School: 2
      Social Worker/Family Liaison: Yes. The school has a Social Worker who provides counseling & assistance with family/personal issues, acts as the liaison between the student, family, and social service agencies, and refers students and families for community available services & public assis
      Guidance Counselors for Program: No
      Total Number of Staff Who Speak in One of the Student Native Languages: 4
      Languages that Staff Speak in Addition to English: Spanish, Portuguese, French
      Professional Development Topics for Teachers and Staff: Differentiation & Q-Tel
  • Connecting Families and Social Capital Networks
    • School Services Offered to Parents and Families:
      • Parent outreach
      • Orientation to USA
      • Information sharing with community organizations
      • Other: Mandated ELL parent orientation and parent coordinator
      Newcomer Program Partnerships:
      Yes, through the school's general partners, such as the South Street Seaport Museum, Waterkeeper Alliance, and the New York Harbor School Foundation.
      Social Services for Families:
      NYHS has various program connections with community-based organizations that offer support such as: counseling, attandence management, family intervention, legal & medical services (e.g., Grand Street Settlement Office, NYC Probation Office, and Mount Sinai Eating Disorder Clinic), and other public assistance.
      Methods to Inform Families of Services Available:
      Through one-on-one meetings with the ESL Coordinator and Parent Coordinator as well as through the parent orientations held twice a year in fall & spring
      Methods to Inform Service Agencies of Newcomer Program:
      Through the Parent Coordinator and Social Worker of the school