Newcomer Schools: First impressions

As a result of political and economic climates in several Central American, Eastern European, and Southeast Asian countries, there are an unprecedented number of newly arrived immigrant students (Lucas, Henze, & Donato, 1990). Quite often these students or "newcomers" arrive in the school system with no or extremely limited experience with the English language and often little or no experience with the American school system (Minicucci & Olsen, 1992). With a myriad of experiences coming into the classroom, these students provide a special challenge for educators. Some students need language instruction while others are not adequately prepared for the content area work for their appropriate age level. Compounding these factors, some students arrive in the United States with severe psychological and emotional trauma due to war zone experiences and/or the immigration process (Lavadenz, 1991).