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Illinois School Board Journal
March/April 2005
Outreach workers ease transition stress
by Jennifer Bialobok
Jennifer Bialobok is community relations coordinator for Lyons THSD 204 in LaGrange, Illinois, and is a member of the Illinois chapter of the National School Public Relations Association.
Meet Miguel, a 14-year-old born and raised in a small town in northern Mexico. When he wasn't farming with his family, he attended a small school where he learned basic English. He is unfamiliar with computers and reads significantly below grade level. He and his family recently moved to the United States so his father could take a new job. Neither of his parents speaks English.
Miguel is a high school freshman, attending classes alongside 3,000 students in a predominantly white middle class suburb. His class schedule includes biology, algebra, English as a Second Language, World History, physical education, keyboarding and art — all in a language not his own.
You can find students like Miguel at nearly every school. Unfortunately, students like Miguel are most at-risk of failing. Not only is Miguel faced with mastering a new language, he has to learn a new culture, a new set of expectations and rules, and so do his parents.
Schools need to reach out and engage these families. A support system is essential to their success.
Revolving door
The reasons students transfer in and out of schools are as numerous as their distinct needs. Perhaps parents left their birth country for better jobs and opportunities or to move to a better socio-economic area, or custody may be an issue. Once in a school, appropriate placement often is difficult. As a result, student achievement suffers and the dropout rate increases. Students may feel schools are equipped with revolving doors.
Miguel doesn't know anyone and his broken English makes him hesitant to reach out to his classmates and teachers. He wants to get through the day and go home to his family.
Transient students often lack a connection to school, staff, friends and community resources. They lack interest and expect to move again, so the student feels hesitant to become involved in the school.
Students who come in during the middle of the school year are immediately behind. They are seen as outsiders because they are not part of the initial registration/orientation process. Many lack academic credit or have educational gaps in their school history, which is especially true in English as a Second Language (ESL) population.
Concierge of communication
Miguel meets the Hispanic student liaison who invites him to an after school homework and basketball session. The liaison gives Miguel his card with office and cell phone numbers, e-mail address and room number. He and his parents are welcome to call or visit anytime they have a question or concern.
Consider creating a position and designating a staff member to serve as an outreach worker to coordinate programs to make new students feel welcome into the building. This outreach worker can establish relationships with the student, parent/guardian and the community.
The job description must be flexible to accommodate family schedules and crisis situations. The hours are not a traditional 9-to-5 position. Having an open line of communication is key using the easiest means available: cell phones, pagers, e-mail and drop-in visits.
A permanent room at school where students can contact the outreach worker is essential. Post the available hours as well as secondary contacts to use if no one is in the designated room.
Regular communication between the school and the parent/guardian must occur throughout the school year. This contact person/outreach worker is akin to a caseworker or a concierge.
The Hispanic liaison asks to visit Miguel and his parents after school. They receive a one-on-one orientation about the school, complete with newsletters and important phone numbers translated in Spanish. The liaison answers questions and listens to their concerns.
Special accommodations
ESL students and their families may have difficulty navigating the school system. These families need an advocate who can communicate their needs to the school administration, counselors and teachers. Consider pairing families new to the district with families who have successfully navigated the system. Helping students and their parents make connections outside the school and in the community will enhance their relationship to the school and ultimately help them be successful.
Miguel is introduced to Maria, a junior who transferred from Mexico two years ago. She invites him to the Hispanic Club meeting, introduces him to friends at lunch and helps him decipher the high school culture.
Guidance counselors who are comfortable in a foreign language can be particularly helpful for growing ESL populations. Guidance meetings with ESL students before registration can help students troubleshoot scheduling issues and resolve questions prior to the registration process. By communicating more with students and increasing their comfort level, students are more likely to understand how to navigate the school system.
Other ideas to help families acclimate to the system include:
Miguel and his parents receive an invitation to attend a Hispanic Night Fiesta and are asked to bring a favorite dish. Here they meet other families from Mexico, and Miguel introduces his parents to Maria and his Art Club sponsor.
Engage, engage, engage!
The key to closing the revolving door on mobility is to get students and parents connected to the school as soon as possible. This can mean anything from helping clarify homework assignments, explaining attendance issues and policies to parents and students, to assisting non-Spanish speaking teachers with contacting parents/guardians.
Miguel is now a sophomore, an active member of the Hispanic and Art clubs. Today he's waiting to meet Hector, a freshman new to the school. It's Miguel's job to give him a tour of the school and invite him to the after school homework and basketball session. Hector is late and lost. Miguel will fix that.