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An increasing number of secondary school age immigrant students possessing low-level English skills and often limited formal schooling has prompted many school districts to establish newcomer programs, either at the school site or a separate center. Although school districts may define them in different ways, these programs typically educate students for a limited period of time (most for less than 2 years) before enrolling them in their home schools. While goals also vary across sites, most programs seek to provide students with a strong foundation in English language development and acculturation to U.S. schools, as well some subject area knowledge.
Our definition of "newcomer program" for this study was a program that places recent immigrant students who have limited English proficiency and often low or limited educational experience in their native countries into a special academic environment separate from native English-speaking students for a limited period of time (usually from 6 months to 2 years). Such programs may exist within the physical school structure, or outside at a separate site that would feed into the local or home school.
These programs encounter many challenges including the following: funding the program, helping students who have had interrupted education and/or little or low literacy skills, providing intensive instruction so students may acquire English and academic content in a limited amount of time, integrating the students in the community and in their home schools, and transporting eligible students to the program site.
Despite the growing interest in newcomer programs, no comprehensive national study of them had been undertaken prior to this 4-year CREDE project (1996–2000), neither for evaluating their impact, nor for providing guidance to school districts considering establishing a newcomer program. This study was designed to fill this gap by exploring the following issues:
Location and IdentificationAdministrative and Instructional Features
- How many secondary-level newcomer programs exist?
- What are the programs' goals?
- Where are they located?
- What program models are used?
- Why were these programs established?
Sociocultural Features
- How are students selected, placed, and assessed?
- What are the entry and exit criteria?
- What curriculum is used and how is it developed?
- What instructional practices do teachers use?
- What training do teachers in newcomer programs have and/or do they receive?
- How are the programs funded and governed?
- What comprehensive services are provided to students?
Relation to Other Programs
- How are newcomer students integrated with other students?
- How do newcomer programs make connections to students' homes and communities?
- How is transition to the home school facilitated?
- How are students monitored after exiting the program?
How do newcomer programs compare with traditional programs (e.g., bilingual or ESL) in the students' home schools in terms of attendance, dropout rates, English language growth, content area growth, attitudes towards school, and postsecondary options?
Through surveys, interviews, classroom observations, data collection and analysis, and literature review, project researchers have acquired and shared knowledge about newcomer program model options, effectiveness, and strategies for facilitating the transition of these students to mainstream classes and their home schools. One of the primary means developed through this project for disseminating information on program models has been the Directory of Secondary Newcomer Programs in the United States.
First published in 1996 and last revised in 2000, the directory contains profiles of 115 middle and high school newcomer programs at 196 sites across 29 states and the District of Columbia. Each profile describes program location, size, and length of enrollment; student demographics; features of instruction and assessment; program staffing; other services offered; and program contacts. The 2000 directory includes new programs as well as updated information about programs profiled in previous editions and is available to purchase in hard copy at the CALstore.
The Summary of Data in the Secondary Newcomer Directory, Revised 2000 presents an analysis of the data gathered for the directory during the years 1996–2000. It provides information about the full set of programs listed in the directory, and includes tables and graphs highlighting key features of programs, such as student population, location, length of program, and the types of instruction used.
Two additional resources, also available online, complement the Directory of Secondary programs in the United States: Revised 2000. The Summary Table of Directory Data displays selected information about secondary newcomer programs in the United States, disaggregated by state. The Matrix with Key Features of Secondary Newcomer Programs (1996–2000) presents features of profiled programs at-a-glance.
The Newcomer Database that was created during the CAL/CREDE study to parrallel the directory has been updated to include both elementary and secondary school newcomer programs. Search this online database of more than 100 newcomer programs in the United States to find information on these programs' key features.
Participate in the online database:
Attention Newcomer Program Contacts:
Would you like to include a profile of your newcomer program in the database or update an existing one? Just follow the easy steps below.
1) Create a Newcomer Program Profile:
2) Update Your Newcomer Program Profile:
To have your program included in the online database of newcomer programs in the United States: To submit update information for your program or make corrections on database profiles, please proceed as follows: Step 1: View and print out our Newcomer Program questionnaire (Please complete a separate questionnaire for each level (elementary, middle, or high school) served in your program.
Step 2: Mail the completed questionnaire to B. Boyson at the Center for Applied Linguistics, 4646 40th St. NW, Washington, DC 20016, or fax it to (202) 362-3740.Step 1: Print out your program profile.
Step 2: Make corrections on the hard copy.
Step 3: Mail the revised profile to B. Boyson at the Center for Applied Linguistics, 4646 40th St. NW, Washington, DC 20016, or fax it to (202) 362-3740.
Boyson, B. A., & Short, D. J. (2003). Secondary school newcomer programs in the United States (Research Report No. 12). Santa Cruz, CA and Washington, DC: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence.
Genesee, F. (Ed.). (1998). Program Alternatives for Linguistically Diverse Students. (Section on newcomer programs discusses the theoretical rationale, common and variable features, necessary resources and conditions, and more.)
Short, D. (1998). Secondary newcomer programs: Helping recent immigrants prepare for school success ERIC Digest (ED#411703). Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics.
Short, D. J. (2002). Newcomer programs: An educational alternative for secondary immigrant students. Education and Urban Society 34(2), 173-198.
Short, D., & Boyson, B. (1997). Secondary Newcomer Programs in the United States: 1996-1997 Directory
Short, D., & Boyson, B. (1998). Secondary Newcomer Programs in the United States: 1997-1998 Supplement
Short, D., & Boyson, B. (1999). Secondary Newcomer Programs in the United States: 1998-1999 Supplement
Short, D., & Boyson, B. (2000). Directory of Secondary Newcomer Programs in the United States: Revised 2000
Short, D., & Boyson, B. (2000, November). Newcomer programs for linguistically diverse students. National Association of Secondary School Principals Bulletin, 48(619), 34-42.
Short, D., & Boyson, B. (2004). Creating access: Language and academic programs for secondary school newcomers. Washington, DC and McHenry, IL: Center for Applied Linguistics and Delta Systems, Inc.
Short, D., & Crandall, M. (1999). Newcomer programs for secondary students. Secondary Speak (1), 1.
References Related to Newcomer Programs and Practices
The related CAL/CREDE research project "Newcomer Conference and Pilot Study"
Information on the First National Conference for Educators of Newcomer Students, including the conference schedule and notes from the keynote address. Purchase conference proceedings through the CALstore
Ideas Generated at TESOL 2004 workshop, Teaching Students with Interrupted Formal Education, by participants, for working with newcomer students
For more information on this project, contact:
Deborah Short or Beverly Boyson
Center for Applied Linguistics
4646 40th Street NW
Washington, DC 20016-1859
Tel. 202-362-0700
Fax. 202-362-3740