Newcomer Program

The Elementary Newcomer ESL Program Model is designed with the purpose to help acclimate recent immigrant Emergent Bilinguals (EBs) to their new country, new school, and new language within a safe, supportive environment. Students are instructed in an ESL/content based, self-contained educational setting. The program model integrates quality content area instruction with second language acquisition to ensure that EBs acquire social and academic language proficiency in English, learn the knowledge and skills in the TEKS, and reach their full academic potential (ELPS §74.4). The Elementary Newcomer ESL Program model is only offered at Carnahan, Colonies North, Glenoaks, Locke Hill, Thornton and Mead for grades Kindergarten through 5th.

Newcomer courses are offered at all comprehensive middle schools. Students will be enrolled in core courses that support the academic and the learning of the English language. All content area teachers have been highly trained with second language acquisition best practice. ELD (English Language Development) is a supplemental course specifically for all Newcomers, which is taught by an ESL teacher.It is the goal of the year-long ELD course to provide target linguist instruction in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing so that ELs are equipped to use English as a means of learning content in mainstream courses and ongoing support so that ELs internalize and practice the second language in a safe learning environment.

Newcomer courses are offered at all comprehensive high school campuses.

Students will be enrolled in core courses that support their learning of the English language.  ELDA (English Language Development and Acquisition) is a course specifically for Newcomers, which is taught by an ESL teacher.