Goal:

To provide intensive English language instruction with bilingual support to students new to the United States schools who are non-English speakers.

Objective:

To accelerate English language learning by:

• Providing additional ESOL instruction to newly arrived students.
• Scaffolding 1^st and 2^nd language acquisition through the use of bilingual teachers and support materials.
• Making strong, on-going home-school connections.
• Provide student support with transitional process to U.S. schools while maintaining appreciation of their own culture. 

Entry and Exiting Criteria

• Students who are non-English speaking
• Students who have attended US schools for less than 2 years

and

• Rated Beginner on TELPAS composite score.
• Students who are not making expected progress in the mainstream should not be placed in the Newcomer Academy to replace newcomers already in the program.

Students may exit Newcomer Academy at the end of a semester based on progress documented by several forms of assessment. The exit decision should be a collaborative decision by both Newcomer and mainstream teachers.