HELPING THE NEWCOMER

There is hardly a school in the United States that has not enrolled some number of Limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. Administrators and teachers throughout the country are striving to meet the challenge of integrating these students from the beginning into the social and academic life of their schools.

LEP students and their parents need a network of support to familiarize them with school routines, to help them understand and comply with school rules and regulations, to help them take advantage of many school-related services, and, ultimately, to successfully follow their designated course of study. There are a number of ways in which schools can provide such a network to make the transition to schooling in the United States easier.

One of the most important things administrators can do is to ensure that information about new LEP students is available to all school personnel, parents, and students. As the "hub" of the information network, principals, counselors, and office personnel should:

1. Refer all new students who answer the Home Language Survey with a language other than English to the Catawba County Schools International Newcomer Center located at the Catawba Rosenwald Education Center.  At the Center, each National Origin Minority (NOM) student will be administered the Idea Proficiency Test to determine whether the student is limited or proficient in English.  At the International Newcomer Center, guardianship and residency will be determined and any questions will be referred to the Superintendent's office.  The Newcomer Center also provides translators for meetings, telephone calls, and when translating written documents are necessary.  In addition, translators at the International Newcomer Center will assist the family in completing all forms that must be completed for the student to enroll in Catawba County Schools.  Once the paperwork is completed, the student will be sent to the appropriate school for enrollment.

2. Have available through the International Newcomer Center a list of LEP students that includes information on country of origin and native language, age, the last grade attended in the home country, current class assignments, and any and all information available about the students' academic background. Since new LEP students are enrolled in school throughout the year, updated lists should be disseminated periodically. School staff who are kept aware of the arrival of new LEP students can prepare themselves and their students to welcome children from different language and cultural backgrounds.

HOW THE SCHOOL STAFF CAN HELP

The most important and challenging task facing schools with LEP students is finding expedient ways to integrate new LEP students into the academic activities of the school. In most cases, it is nearly impossible for schools to know in advance how many LEP students will enroll from year to year or to foresee what level of academic skills students will bring with them. Nevertheless, school staff needs to have a set of well-planned procedures for placing students in the appropriate classroom, as well as procedures for developing instructional plans, many of which must be developed on an individual student basis. School administrators should provide staff with the time and resources to accomplish this. The following activities are suggested:

1. All language assessments are completed at the International Newcomer Center.

2. LEP students should not be isolated for the entire school day. At the elementary level, LEP students are provided ESL services, either as pull-out or an inclusion model. At the middle and high school level, LEP students are scheduled in ESL classes based on their language proficiency.  The participation of school principals and counselors in this process is essential.

3. Conduct regular information discussion sessions with the school staff and resource people who know something about the students' languages, cultures, and school systems in the various countries of origin. Such discussions usually focus on appropriate instructional approaches to be used with LEP students or how to interpret student behaviors or customs that are unfamiliar to the teacher.

4. A support network for LEP students is complete only when all students are included and allowed to help in some way. Teachers should initially establish buddy systems in their own classrooms, but student organizations, such as the student council, foreign language clubs, or international student groups can also help. A "buddy system" pairs new students with students not new to the system. Where possible, LEP students may be paired with responsible students who speak their native language or with native English-speaking peers. These "buddy teams" go through the school day together so that the newcomers may learn school routines from experienced peers who have gone through the adjustment period themselves.  In this way, LEP students begin to learn survival English at the same time that they are getting to know other students in the school. As tutors, student buddies may help newcomers with academic work, especially in classes where extra teacher help is not consistently available.

Administrators and teachers should encourage LEP students and their parents to participate in social and academic activities.

Many schools also plan special school assemblies (or even an entire day) to celebrate the cultural diversity of the student body or to spotlight outstanding work done by LEP students. Many other activities may be initiated, which give LEP students and their English-speaking peers opportunities to interact and work together.

Schools that see LEP students and their families as rich sources of first-hand information about life in other countries and cultures are very often the most successful in helping LEP students to become productive, contributing members of the school community.

The National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (now known as the NCELA) is a federally-funded center that provides information on programs, instructional materials, research, and other resources related to the education of LEP students. The Clearinghouse also can provide information on additional networks of federally-funded centers that serve school districts with LEP students. Eligibility for free technical assistance from these centers varies according to funding priorities. For information, write or call:

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs, 2121 K Street NW, Suite 260, Washington, DC 20037, (800) 231-6223.

FOR MORE INFORMATION :

Interamerica Research Associates. EDUCATING THE MINORITY STUDENT: CLASSROOM AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES. Rosslyn, VA: Interamerica Research Associates, 1984. ED 260 600.

Golub, L.S. THE DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF A BILINGUAL PLACEMENT AND MONITORING CENTER. Lancaster, PA: Lancaster School District, 1984. ED 262 055.

Gradisnik, A., and O. Eccerd (comps.). HELPING SCHOOLS DESIGN AND DEVELOP BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. Milwaukee, WI: Midwest National Origin Desegregation Center, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 1984.

Lindfors, J.W. CHILDREN'S LANGUAGE AND LEARNING. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1980.

Ollila, L.O. (ed.). BEGINNING READING INSTRUCTION IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 1981.

Ovando, D.J. BILINGUAL AND ESL CLASSROOMS: TEACHING IN MULTICULTURAL CONTEXTS. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1985.

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This publication was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under OERI contract. The opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI or the Department of Education.