Secondary Newcomer Programs in the U.S.

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Lee High School and Lee Middle School ELL Newcomers
Program Address:
1335 Lee St.
Wyoming, MI 49509
Phone: (616) 452-3298
Fax: (616) 241-4677

Contact Person:
Brenda Caballero
ELL Teacher
(616) 460-8257
bcaballero@godfrey-lee.org

  • Program Information
    • Information provided for school year: 2010-2011
      Year Program Started: 2004
      School/Grade Levels: Combination middle and high school site
      Program Description:
      This full-day middle school and high school program is an orientation to U.S. schools and culture. It is designed to prepare students for core content classes. Language is taught through thematic units. Most units have a culminating project that involves a technology product such as a Power Point presentation or a thematic Web page. Students spend a half day in newcomer English class and a half day in ELL content area classes or electives. Generally students remain in the program for two semesters but some may stay up to four semesters. Upon exit, they join our regular ELL program.
      Newcomer Student Definition:
      A newcomer is an ELL student who has been in the United States for less than 2 years and is at a basic level of English proficiency.
      Aspects of Program Working Well:
      We offer substantial support for new students, transitioning over time to less support and more independence. We provide orientation time to American schools and culture. The program develops student skills for content areas such as vocabulary and listening skills, especially with cognates. We connect students with staff through school tours, interactions with secretaries, media specialist, teachers, and administrators.
      Type of Language Program: ESL
      Type of Community: Urban/metropolitan
      How Families Learn of Program: Program is explained to parents by school counselors during enrollment process. Middle school students and parents are taken on school tour and introduced to ELL teacher.
      Students Assigned From:
      • More than one school
      Name(s) of the Home School(s): Lee Middle School and Lee High School (Both schools are housed in one building.)
      Funding Sources:
      • Federal
      • State
      • District
      Other District Language Support Programs:
  • 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: 4 semester(s)
      Average Class Size: 13 student(s)
      Entry Criteria: In the U.S. for less than 2 years, Basic English proficiency identified through enrollment process, confirmed with Michigan ELPA test screener
  • Newcomer Student Demographics
    • Number of Newcomer Students in Program: 13
      Age Range of Students: 11-18
      Number of Countries Represented: 7
      Most Common Countries:
      • Mexico
      • Guatemala
      • Dominican Replublic
      Number of Non-English Languages Represented: 2
      Most Common Student Languages:
      • Spanish
      Percentage of Students with Interrupted Formal Schooling: 8%
      Percentage of Students with Free or Reduced Lunch: 99%
  • Instruction
    • Languages Used for Instruction: 70% English, 25 % Spanish
      Courses Provided by the Newcomer Program:
      • Sheltered content in English
        • math
        • science
        • social studies
        • language arts
        • health
      • Content Instruction in native language(s)
        • math
        • other: technology
      • ESL or English language development
      • Cross-cultural/orientation to the United States
      • Reading intervention
      • School/study skills
      Typical Newcomer Student Schedule: 2-2.5 hour block class of ELL newcomers class using thematic instruction based heavily on science, some math, and some social studies. The aim is to develop social and academic language skills. 1 hour math - regular ed. math often co-taught with an ELL teacher or a paraprofessional or L1 support in class (often not at grade level). Students also have a homework support hour in their school day and an elective such as art, PE, or technology (co-taught with an ELL teacher).
      Literacy Development Practices: Vocabulary development, phonics instruction, syllabic instruction, reading comprehension, graphic organizers, SOAR
      Literacy Materials Used: Access, Oxford Picture Dictionary/Workbook and thematic series, Everyday English, Scott Foresman, TCM (Teacher Created Materials) thematic books, SOAR, Classroom Teachers ESL Survival Kits
      High School Courses Receiving Core Credit: ELL English, Math courses - first language co-teacher support
      High School Courses Receiving Elective Credit: ELL Newcomers, Art, PE
      Credit Recovery or Online Learning Courses: E20/20
      Additional Learning Opportunities: We have a summer school program with graduate level ELL teachers from a local university (Grand Valley State University) and extended day periods after school.
      Ancillary Services Offered Students:
      • Title I
      • Special Education
      • Career counseling
      • Tutoring
      • Other: Title 1 summer school program with field trips
      5- or 6- Year Program Available for High School Newcomer Students: Not currently. It is under consideration based on the new Michigan graduation requirements. We have had students who are too old to graduate from our high school finish at another school.
  • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Placement Measures
      Reading:
      Scholastic Read 180/System 44
      English language proficiency:
      ELPA or ELPA screener
      Content:
      Progress Measures
      Reading:
      MEAP, Scholastic Read 180/System 44
      English language proficiency:
      ELPA or ELPA screener
      Content:
      MEAP - science, math, language arts, social studies
      Achievement Measures
      State standards tests:
      Yes - ELPA, MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program), MME (Michigan Merit Exam, required of 11th graders)
      Other assessments:
      Classroom projects, Common Formative Assessments (CFAs)
      Program Evaluation: Not formally
  • Student Transition and Monitoring
    • Type of Program Students Exit Into:
      • ESL
      Exit Criteria: ELPA scores (generally basic level). Teacher input becomes a factor if a student is aquiring English exceptionally fast or exceptionally slow or if the ELL teacher team believes that the ELPA score does not accurately reflect the student's ability. MEAP scores.
      Measures to Facilitate Student Transition Out of the Newcomer Program: Generally there is a gradual transition from Year 1 when they have the newcomer class and 90% ELL classes, to Year 2 with 75% ELL classes and ELL support in other classes, to Year 3 with 25% ELL classes and ELL support in some content classes. Year 4 has no ELL classes but possible ELL support in some content classes. (ELL support would be a co-taught class by a content area teacher and an ELL teacher, or a class with a content teacher and an ELL paraprofessional.)
      ELL teachers and school counselor help facilitate the transition.

      Postsecondary Options for High School Newcomers:
      • GED
      • Technical or Trade School
      • 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:
      Total Number of Teachers: 3
      Full Time in Newcomer Program: 1
      Criteria to Teach in Newcomer Program: ELL endorsement
      Total Number of Paraprofessionals: 2
      Total Number of Resource Teachers: 0
      Total Number of Guidance Counselors for School: 1
      Social Worker/Family Liaison: Yes.
      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: ELPA Scores, ELL Standards, ELL Strategies, Co-Teaching
  • Connecting Families and Social Capital Networks
    • School Services Offered to Parents and Families:
      • Parent outreach
      • Adult ESL courses
      • GED
      • Information sharing with community organizations
      • Other: Interpretation and translation services
      Newcomer Program Partnerships:
      Not at this time.
      Social Services for Families:
      In-school social services provided through county – DHS, counseling. Refugee students are already connected with social services. Hispanic families often connect with the local Hispanic Center, a local clinic connected to a Catholic hospital, and a city clinic. Local food banks serve families too.
      Methods to Inform Families of Services Available:
      Kent School Services Network
      Methods to Inform Service Agencies of Newcomer Program: