Newcomers School Could Grow

By MORGAN JOSEY GLOVER

GREENSBORO — Administrators with the Guilford Newcomers School want to add two elementary grades and make several other changes for the 2008-09 academic year, with the intention of helping immigrant students graduate from high school on time.

The Guilford County Board of Education awaits a formal budget proposal from district officials before giving any approval. Proposed changes include adding third and fourth grades, operating year-round, converting to a block schedule for high school students, and adding five weeks of summer academic sessions.

“We’re really on the right track,” said Principal Jake Henry. “We are very proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

But board Chairman Alan Duncan questioned the wisdom of having third- and fourth-graders attending classes in the same building as teenagers, or placing high school students on an eight-course block schedule. Duncan said he was concerned about those students encountering scheduling problems if they transfer to a school with a traditional six-course calendar.

“Are we planning on the implementation of a transition that makes sense?” Duncan asked. “It strikes me that we’re going to have to spend a lot of time on planning to make sure this works.”

The school board approved the voluntary Newcomers School in March 2007, at a cost of $2.4 million, to teach English to immigrant students in grades five through 12 for one year to improve their odds of graduating from high school and boost lagging state test scores.

The school, located at the former Guilford Primary, provides English immersion, class sizes of 15 students per teacher and support services for families, such as an adult literacy class on Saturday. More than 300 students are currently enrolled.

Teresa McNeill, coordinator of an English-as-a-second-language program at Page High School, expressed concerns to the school board earlier this year about students transitioning from the one-year Newcomers School to traditional high schools without enough credits to graduate on time, and therefore hurting the school’s performance on federal testing standards.

McNeill, who expects Page to receive about 25 students from the Newcomers School, suggested that the district provide summer school for students to catch up on their course work or place them in an intermediate grade.

“This is a first-year glitch and we need some relief,” McNeill said in an interview before the meeting. “We should not be punished as a staff. When you don’t (meet testing standards) everyone suffers.”

Henry said at the meeting that he expects most high school students who will leave the Newcomers School with five credits may need to “double up” on math, reading and other required courses in later grades. But using a block schedule will allow students to take more courses each semester, he said.

In other business, the school board:

l Requested budget proposals for any changes or expansions at the district’s new Twilight High School. This alternative program targets students with behavior problems who are at risk of not graduating on time.

l Heard cost estimates totaling at least $64.7 million for various proposals to improve school climate and student behavior, including staff training and additional security personnel for high schools.

Contact Morgan Josey Glover at 373-7078 or morgan.josey@news- record.com

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