A newcomer student is a student who has been in the country for less than one year and scores a 2.4 or lower on the language screening assessment. Newcomer Programming provides specific support to students who perform at a lower level in the four domains of language acquisition and is available at five schools in Parkway:
Carman Trails Elementary Ross Elementary
Green Trails Elementary Parkway Central Middle School
Parkway Central High School Parkway South High School
Students who participate in newcomer programming at the elementary level will spend the majority of their day in an EL classroom with intensive language support provided by one of the newcomer EL teachers. As their language ability progresses, they will transition into a grade level classroom and receive support from an EL Specialist to provide accommodations and scaffolds of support as they continue learning. Elementary students typically complete newcomer programming in one year and then transition to their resident school.
At the secondary level, newcomer students participate in a block of courses which are targeted to the needs of newcomer students, in addition to other core content classes such as mathematics, science and social studies, as well as elective courses as they are available.