Access and Engagement: Program Design and Instructional Approaches for Immigrant Students in Secondary School Book

Many immigrant students in secondary school have problems succeeding because of the structures of the schools themselves. Problematic school structures include fragmented school days, fragmented instructional programs (with ESL and content teachers working in separate departments and rarely interacting), a complex system of courses and of graduation and college entrance requirements, the common practice of placing students in grades according to their age, and traditional methods of documenting student achievement. In this book, the author details the challenges faced by immigrant students and the schools they attend. She profiles six immigrant high school students (from Brazil, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Russia, and Vietnam), describing their language and cultural backgrounds, frustrations and successes. She also profiles four programs attempting to develop responsive instructional philosophies and approaches (in California, Iowa, and New York). Finally, she identifies ten characteristics of schools and pro- grams that can foster effective teaching and learning for immigrant youth.