Newcomer Students

Definitions and Data

Definitions

As it pertains to Education Code (EC) sections 51225.1 , 51225.2 , and 60811.8 , Assembly Bill 714 defines “newcomer pupil” the same as “immigrant children and youth,” as defined in Section 7011(5) of Title 20 of the United States Codes as the following: Immigrant children and youth are individuals who (a) are aged three through twenty-one; (b) were not born in any state (each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico); and (c) have not been attending one or more schools in the United States for more than three full academic years.

The table below provides general definitions of terms that may also be used to describe newcomer students.

Data

Data for each of the newcomer terms from the table above can be found in the links below. Currently, there is no data collection for SIFE at the federal and state level.

English Learner Data
The web page provides general English learner data collected by the California Department of Education (CDE).

Foreign Born
The U.S. Census Bureau website provides a variety of data regarding the foreign-born population in the United States.

Title III Immigrant Student Demographics
This web page provides immigrant student data collected as part of the requirements of Title III, Part A, of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The CDE conducts an annual data collection on the number of immigrant students enrolled in California's public and private schools.

Refugees and Asylees
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security website provides an annual report along with downloadable Excel data files regarding refugees and asylees that arrive in the United States each year.

Unaccompanied Children Information
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website provides general data regarding unaccompanied youth who have been referred to the ORR for care and to help find a sponsor in the United States. The ORR is within the Administration for Children and Families, an operational division of the HHS that manages the Unaccompanied Children Program

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1 U.S. Department of Education. Office of English Language Acquisition. 2023. Newcomer Toolkit (PDF)
2 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the ESSA, Section 8101(20)
3 20 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 7011(5)
4 CDE. 2020. Overview of Migrant Education in California
5 6 U.S.C. Section 279(g)(2)
6 HHS. 2021. Unaccompanied Children Frequently Asked Questions
7 CDSS. 2021. Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program

Enrollment

It is important that LEAs ensure that newcomer students receive all the necessary support and services to be successful, beginning with a welcoming enrollment. When enrolling newcomer students, LEAs may consider the following promising practices to welcome and support newcomer students in their new academic communities.

Prepare for the registration meeting.

Before the registration meeting with the student and their guardian(s), school personnel can prepare by building their cultural awareness and sensitivity through research of the education system in the student’s home country. Consider the following resources:

• Guide to Education Systems by Country | NAFSA
• National Education Systems | Education Profiles
• Evaluating Foreign Transcripts: The A-Z Manual (PDF)

Notify guardians of the documents needed to register.

LEAs can notify students and their guardian(s) of the full range of documents that will be accepted as proof of residency and as proof of age. A school district can choose to accept other documents to show residency in a zone and show age (California Education Code [EC] sections 48204.1 and 48002). An LEA shall not collect or solicit social security numbers or the last four digits of social security numbers from pupils or their parents or guardians unless otherwise required to do so by state or federal law (EC Section 49076.7). For purposes of determining if a student meets the definition of “newcomer pupil”, as defined in EC Section 51225.2, a school should request only information about a student’s date of birth, place of birth, and prior school enrollment.

Consult with the student and their guardian(s) during the registration process.

Guardians of pupils enrolled in public schools have the right and should have the opportunity, as mutually supportive and respectful partners in the education of their children within the public schools, to be informed by the school, and to participate in the education of their children (EC Section 51101). Consider using community partners, interpreters, communication platforms like Talking Points , and welcome centers to connect with students and their families. When 15 percent or more of the students enrolled in a public school speak a single primary language other than English, a school is required to send home parental notifications in both English and the non-English language (EC Section 48985).

Award credit (if applicable).

An LEA shall issue, and the new LEA shall accept, full or partial credit for all full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed by a newcomer pupil while attending a public school, a juvenile court school, a charter school, a school in a country other than the United States, or a nonpublic, nonsectarian school (EC Section 51225.2 [b][1]). LEAs may consider the following resources to translate and evaluate transcripts:

• Validate-ME! | Validate My Education | Transcript evaluation services from any country in the world.
• Transcript Translation

Consider recreating academic histories (if applicable).

Some newcomer students experience limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) or lack access to official records if they fled their home country. If academic records are unavailable, consider recreating them. Interview the student and their guardian(s) with the assistance of translators and interpreters. Consider asking these questions for every year the student was in school:

• In what country were you living?
• What months did you attend school?
• How much time each day did you spend in school?
• In what language were the lessons?
• What were the names of the courses in which you were enrolled?
• What kinds of assignments did you complete?
• What grades did you obtain?

Consider alternative means for earning credits towards graduation (if applicable).

The governing board, with the active involvement of parents, administrators, teachers, and pupils, shall adopt alternative means for pupils to complete the prescribed course of study that may include practical demonstration of skills and competencies, supervised work experience or other outside school experience, career technical education classes offered in high schools, courses offered by regional occupational centers or programs, interdisciplinary study, independent study, and credit earned at a postsecondary educational institution (EC Section 51225.3[b]). LEAs may also want to consider after school programs, Saturday school programs, or summer school programs for students to recover credit towards graduation.

Identify English learners.

LEAs are required to assess the English language proficiency of students, and this processbegins with determining the language(s) spoken in the home of each student via the Home Language Survey (HLS).The responses to the HLS will assist the school in determining if a student's English proficiency should be assessed using the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC). Assessing English language proficiency is a much-needed part of the school’s responsibility to meet its obligations to English learners (EC sections 305, 313, 60810).

Consider supports when creating the student’s schedule.

It’s important to consider how the student will receive support throughout their day. When creating the student’s schedule, school personnel may want to consider:

• Student's prior academic experiencesor SLIFE
• Student’s and family’s interests and goals
• Local and statewide graduation requirements (See EC sections 51225.1 and 51225.2 and the AB 2121 Frequently Asked Questions web page)
• Peers and teachers who share the student’s home language
• Teacher qualifications and professional training to support newcomer students.

Consider providing orientation for the student and their guardian(s).

When possible, provide an orientation for the student and their family with the assistance of translators and/or interpreters. Consider including:

• Options regarding transportation to and from school
• Information to help newcomers navigate their new school and new schedules
• Information about school customs such as group work, grading systems, homework expectations, parent-teacher conferences and associations, etc.
• Instructions for how to access student grades and attendance
• An explanation of high school credits and graduation requirementsif applicable
• Methods for supporting literacy in the home
• Expectations and opportunities around parent involvement
• Information about different community-based organizations (health services, legal services, food and housing security services, and more)

Consider checking in with teachers early and often to ensure appropriate placement.

School personnel may want to consider checking in with teachers early and often to ensure appropriate placement. Revisit and review progress toward academic goals oftenand provide both adult and peer support, with shared home languages if possible.

Newcomer Program

Each newcomer student’s background and experience coming to the United States is unique and multifaceted. Newcomer students may meet more than one of the newcomer terms listed in the Definition and Data tab. For example, it is possible for a newcomer student to be considered a refugee, students with limited or interrupted formal education, and an English learner. Therefore, it is important that LEAs offer a high-quality newcomer program at the school or district level to ensure that newcomer students are given opportunities to acclimate to the American education system and culture and develop English language proficiency, while receiving all the necessary support and services to be successful. The newcomer program is intended to help bridge the educational and social-emotional experience of students and to support newcomer students and families during, at a minimum, their first year of schooling in the United States.

When creating a newcomer program, LEAs may consider ways to align the program within existing frameworks, policies, and the local control accountability plan (LCAP). One of the existing policies that would be effective in the development of a newcomer program is the California English Learner Roadmap: Strengthening Comprehensive Educational Policies, Programs, and Practices for English Learners (CA EL Roadmap), which consists of four principles. Principle One of the CA EL Roadmap focuses on the need for asset-oriented and needs-responsive schools. The program should be developed with an asset-oriented and equity lens that values and builds upon the students’ diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The program should provide rigorous coursework aligned with the state academic standards and specifically the California English Language Development Standards: Kindergarten Through Grade 12 to support students’ academic progress consistent with Principle Two of the CA EL Roadmap (Intellectual Quality of Instruction and Meaningful Access). There should be a collaborative effort between the local newcomer program, the LEA, and community-based organizations to be able to offer a wide range of services to meet each student and their family’s needs. The following guidance lists various components, frameworks, and other resources to assist LEAs in the development and implementation of a newcomer program. Principle Three and Four of the CA EL Roadmap are discused more in the Program Team and Ongoing Support sections, respectively.

Program Team

Principle Three of the CA EL Roadmap provides guidance on the system infrastructure to support a newcomer program. The LEA should identify the staff members that will need to be involved in the development of the newcomer program. There may be an initial core team that will gather and analyze the data, which will lead to expanding the team to include essential staff members to help implement the program.

Newcomer Student Data

The program team considers the different data sources for newcomer students to help in the development of the newcomer program. The data will come from a variety of sources. Some data may be from existing data sources such as the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), enrollment, or the student’s cumulative folder, including when available, assessment results.

Other data will come from new sources in order to gather all of the necessary information to assist in the development of the newcomer program. LEAs may consider developing an initial interview questionnaire to use when meeting with the student and their parents/guardians to gather more information about the student’s background, experience with education, home life, daily routine, hobbies/interests, cultural and/or religious practices, and any other information that the school needs to consider in order to support the student.

When collecting student data, LEAs should abide by federal and state laws regarding student data privacy. For more information, see the CDE Data Privacy web page. Please note that LEAs should not ask questions pertaining to immigration status for newcomer students.

Program Goals

The program team sets goals for the newcomer program by reviewing and analyzing the newcomer student data. A recommended approach to setting goals is by using the SMART method, which stands for the following:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-Bound

The SMART method is a tool that has helped LEAs set goals in other areas such as the LCAP and the School Plan. For more information about the SMART method, reference the Goal tab on the CDE Planning for the LCAP and School Plan web page.

Program Requirements

The program team establishes requirements for the newcomer program. The team may use the newcomer student data to determine the following when creating program requirements:

• Student eligibility
• Program timeline for exiting or transitioning from the newcomer program
• Academic coursework
• Language and cultural support (for example a course on survival English)
• Wraparound services provided by LEAs and their community-based system of care to support students and their families’ needs, which may include, but are not limited to social-emotional health, food security, housing resources, special education services, counseling and legal services, and more. See the National Wraparound Initiative website for more information.

Program Location

The program team explores facility options available at the local level to determine which one of the options is most appropriate to support newcomer students. It is possible for a newcomer program to be located at a stand-alone site or within an existing school site depending on the number of newcomer students the LEA is serving and the geographic size of the LEA.

Participation Timeline

A newcomer program is an optional short-term program, with entrance and exit criteria (see Program Requirements above), to help newcomer students transition to another language program or a general program at a traditional school setting. It is not intended to be a long-term or permanent program that separates or segregates newcomer students from integrating with the general student population. Newcomer students may elect to participate in the newcomer program for either the full school day or part of the school day. The newcomer program is provided during a protected time during the regular school day, including any supplemental time such as Saturday school, before and after school, intersession, summer school, and any other extending learning time.

Implementation

One approach to implementing a newcomer program is to use the California Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. It is an integrated, comprehensive framework for the LEA to align academic, behavioral, and social-emotional learning in order to serve the whole child. It involves family and community engagement, administrative leadership, integrated education frameworks, and inclusive policy and practice.

The MTSS framework helps LEAs provide universal support to all students by creating a positive and inclusive school environment that welcomes all students, while providing supplemental support and intensified support to newcomer students. For more information, training, and other resources about the California MTSS framework, see the CDE MTSS web page.

Family Engagement

Families play an integral part in their child’s education and academic success. A newcomer student’s family may include, but is not limited to, their parents, siblings, caregivers, sponsors, and guardians. It is important to recognize that family engagement may involve immediate or extended family members depending on the student’s situation. To support family engagement, the following two resources are available for LEAs:

• The Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships

This is a research-based framework developed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Southwest Educational Development Lab. Version 2 of this framework was released in 2019. The framework supports schools to address challenges, essential conditions, as well as policy and program goals to build effective partnerships between educators and families to support student and school improvement.

• Family Engagement Toolkit: Continuous Improvement Through an Equity Lens(PDF)

This family engagement toolkit was developed by the CDE in 2017 and is grounded in the concepts from the first version of the Partners in Education: A Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships. This toolkit provides key questions and equity questions for LEAs to consider, along with tools and examples.

For more information, visit the Resources for Parents of English Learner Students web page.

Ongoing Support

The program team considers the ongoing support, such as language support or social-emotional services, that students will need as they transition out of or exit the newcomer program. The ongoing support will ensure that these students have a smooth transition into the regular school setting and continue to thrive personally and academically, consistent with Principle Four of the CA EL Roadmap. Principle Four of the CA EL Roadmap provides guidance on program alignment and coherency within and across systems to provide ongoing support to newcomer students.

The program team and LEA also consider the ongoing support, such as professional development for staff members and educators who will be serving students who are transitioning out of or exiting the newcomer program. The team evaluates and explores new funding sources and professional development in order to build capacity and sustain the newcomer programs. Newcomer programs may also be implemented in partnership with other state, federal, or private organizations. These programs may have specific guidelines and components than what is listed above.

Funding Programs

General Information

Funding Sources to Support Newcomer Students
This web page provides a list of various funding sources LEAs may use to support newcomer students and their families.

Title III

Title III, officially known as the Language Instruction for English Learner and Immigrant Students, of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides funding to supplement instructional programs and services required by state and local law and regulation. Title III funds supplement English language proficiency (ELP) programs to ensure that English learner (EL) students, including immigrant children and youth, attain ELP and meet the same challenging state academic standards that other students are expected to meet.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Education provides funding authorized under Title III, Part A, to each state education agency based on the number of EL and immigrant students enrolled in the state. Eligible LEAs in California apply to the California Department of Education (CDE) for Title III funding. To see if an LEA received Title III funding, reference the directory available on the CDE Title III EL Student Program and Title III Immigrant Student Program web pages.

For the purpose of Title III, "immigrant children and youth" is defined as an individual who is aged 3 through 21; was not born in any state; and has not been attending one or more schools in any one or more states for more than three full academic years. LEAs that received a Title III immigrant education subgrant may use the subgrant funding in a variety of ways to supplement and enhance the opportunities for immigrant students and their families (ESSA Section 3115[e]). This may include, but is not limited to:

• Family literacy, and parent/family outreach and engagement
• Recruitment of personnel, including teachers and paraprofessionals
• Provision of tutorials, mentoring, and counseling
• Identification, development, and acquisition of materials, software, and technologies
• Instructional services needed by immigrant students
• Other instructional services needed by immigrant students
• Activities coordinated with community-based organizations, institutions of higher education, or other entities to assist immigrant students and their families which may include, but are not limited to:
  • Social-emotional and mental health services
  • Translation services
  • Afterschool and summer programs

Additional information about Title III is available on the CDE Title III web page. For frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Title III EL and immigrant student programs, see the Title III FAQs web page. The CDE also provides examples of authorized and unauthorized uses of Title III funds which are available on the CDE Title III Authorized Use Scenarios web page.

Resources

The following resources are available to support teachers and LEAs serving newcomer students and families:

California Department of Education (CDE) Resources

Assembly Bill 2121 FAQs
This web page provides responses to FAQs regarding Assembly Bill (AB) 2121, which amended California Education Code (EC) regarding migratory children & newcomer pupils.

Assembly Bill 2735 FAQs
This page provides responses to FAQs regarding AB 2735, which amended California EC regarding English learners.

Unaccompanied Minors FAQs
This web page provides information and responses to FAQs regarding unaccompanied minors.

Resources to Support in the Case of Immigration Enforcement on School Campuses Letter
This letter from CDE Chief Deputy Superintendent David Schapira includes a template for an immigration enforcement guidance notecard for school personnel.

Supporting Resilience in Schools
The web page provides information and resources for educators, parents, and communities working with students who have experienced trauma. It includes a toolkit, training for educators, strategies, a self-care assessment, and many other resources.

Migrant
The web page provides information and background on the migrant education program in California. It includes migrant education forms, a directory of offices providing services, frequently asked questions (FAQs), program calendar of events, Parent Engagement Modules Series, and other resources.

Binational Migrant Education Program
The Binational Migrant Education Program is an international program between the Secretary of Public Education of Mexico and the CDE. The web page provides information about the Binational Migrant Education Summer Session, transfer documents, free textbook distribution, and consular office contacts.

Homeless Education
The link above provides information and resources regarding homeless children and youth and their right to enroll, attend, participate fully, and succeed in school.

Special Education
The web page provides information and resources to serve the unique needs of persons with disabilities so that each person will meet or exceed high standards of achievement in academic and nonacademic skills.

Foster Youth in California Schools
This web page provides information, resources, and educational outcomes for foster youth students regarding the Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program, education rights, partnerships with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and nonprofit organizations, FAQs, and more.

Title III Immigrant Student Demographics
The web page provides data collected about Title III immigrant students enrolled in California's public and private schools.

Afghan Newcomers (PDF)
This guide provides general statistics and information about Afghan newcomers resettling to the U.S. It also provides a list of things to consider and resources to assist LEAs serving Afghan newcomer students and their families.

External Resources

Newcomer Toolkit (PDF)
The Newcomer Toolkit published by the U.S. Department of Education includes five chapters addressing the following topics related to newcomer students: demographics; safe, inclusive, and thriving school environment; social, emotional, and mental health needs; high-quality instruction; and establishing partnership with families.

Welcoming, Registering, and Supporting Newcomer Students: A Toolkit for Educators of Immigrant and Refugee Students in Secondary Schools (PDF)
This toolkit was developed by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest. The toolkit provides information on research-based practices, policies, and procedures on welcoming, registering, and supporting newcomer students and their families. The toolkit also includes information on building educators’ capacity to support newcomer students.

Promoting a Safe and Secure Learning Environment for All: Guidance and Model Policies to Assist California’s K-12 Schools in Responding to Immigration Issues (PDF)
This guidance helps California’s public K-12 schools and other LEAs develop policies to protect the rights of undocumented students and families. It provides recommendations for handling personal information from students and their families.

SLIFE: Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (PDF)
This World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment bulletin focuses on the needs of students who have limited or interrupted formal education.

California Department of Public Health
The California Department of Public Health web page provides program information, data and statistics, and other resources from the Office of Binational Border Health and Office of Refugee Health.

California Department of Social Services
The CDSS Refugee Programs Bureau (RPB) web page includes RPB contact information, calendar and events, reports and data, refugee resources guides, funding information, and more. The California Department of Social Services’ Office of Immigrant Youth also administers and oversees the state-funded California Newcomer Education and Well-Being (CalNEW) program to provide support services to newcomer students, English learners, and immigrant families.

California Newcomer Network
The California Newcomer Network is a collaborative learning community of educators with the common goal of sharing and gaining information, knowledge, and experiences related to newcomer students. This network provides opportunities to develop personally and professionally in implementing best practices for supporting newcomer students.

Californians Together – Support for Immigrant and Refugee Students
Californians Together Support for Immigrant and Refugee Students web page includes a guide for California educators and schools, classroom lesson modules for different grade spans, and more. It also includes resources in Spanish to support families of immigrant students during COVID-19.

Center for Applied Linguistics
The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) promotes access, equity, and mutual understanding for linguistically and culturally diverse people around the world. CAL also offers professional development services where participants can learn effective strategies to increase newcomer students' inclusion and learning in the classroom and beyond. For more specific information about CAL’s professional development, visit their Newcomers Your School: Cultural Connections and Instructional Strategies web page.

Colorín Colorado
Colorín Colorado is a national organization that provides information and resources to educators and families related to English language learners. The link above is to the Colorín Colorado’s Special Population: English Language Learners web page, which provides articles, videos, booklists, FAQs, guides and toolkits, research and reports, and other resources related to English learners who are also newcomer students, students with interrupted formal education, unaccompanied minors, refugee students, and from other special populations. 

Migration Policy Institute
The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) is an independent, nonprofit think tank. The MPI website includes data, publications, and information on a variety of topics related to immigration, migration, and refugees within the U.S. and internationally.

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition – Newcomer
The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition newcomer information includes a series of papers that focuses on academic supports, social and emotional supports, and programs for newcomer students.

National Wraparound Initiative
The National Wraparound Initiative web page through the School of Social Work at Portland State University includes an implementation guide, trainings, webinars, a guide for parents, publications in English and Spanish, and other resources related to the wraparound approach.

AB 714 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Assembly Bill (AB) 714 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)