• These students arrive in 2nd to 12th grades with little or no education experiences in their previous countries. Their language, literacy, and content knowledge may also be limited in their primary languages. Hence, they may need basic decoding skills and emergent writing skills, along with abundant vocabulary.

• These are students who arrive in 2nd to 12th grades with substantial or continuous educational experiences in their previous countries. These students typically possess a strong foundation in their primary language, including advanced literacy and content knowledge. They are generally equipped with proficient reading comprehension, established writing skills, and an extensive vocabulary in their first language. As a result, these students are better prepared to transition into an English-speaking educational environment and may require minimal foundational literacy support, focusing instead on enhancing their language proficiency and adapting to new educational contexts.

• These students are from places made inhospitable by severe violence and war. Refugee parents can apply for U.S. permanent resident status after one year from legal entry and then may request U.S. citizenship after five years. When refugees arrive, they are placed near private resettlement agencies that assist them with housing and job placement.

• These youth are defined upon entry into the U.S., have no lawful immigration status in the U.S., and have no legal guardian in the U.S. or available to provide care. They have a lawful right to public education, but generally lack access to the network of wraparound services designated for youth defined as refugees,

• These students also need to be considered for special education services. They must be assessed 30 days after arriving, per the Every Student Succeeds Act guidelines, and receive both English as a Second Language/English Language Development (ESL/ELD) and special education services.

• These are undocumented students who were brought here by their parents. They constantly fear deportation. They often work and study relentlessly and are on track to attend college.

• These are students who are most likely born here and thus could fit in several categories of ELs or non-ELs. Migrant students travel with their parents from state to state following the crops or other temporary job opportunities. State Migrant Education offices typically have records of their schooling from the various places in which they have resided.

• These are students who are most likely U.S. citizens, perhaps second- or third generation, and have had U.S. EL status for at least six or more years. They, unfortunately, did not receive quality instruction. The U.S. Department of Education publications state that 70 percent or more of all students categorized as ELs are LTELs. It is likely that many former newcomers who arrived at elementary age are now LTELs.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Fluent in social/conversational English

• Stalled in one proficiency level for multiple years without improvement

• Family speaks another language at home

• Typically middle to high school students