Improving Newcomer Education and Support in California Schools

Newcomer students—immigrant students in their first years at U.S. schools—have long been an underserved group in California’s school systems. Newcomers require specialized curricula and instruction to succeed in school as well as access to social services to meet even their basic needs. Unfortunately, most newcomers have not experienced schooling that adequately addresses their unique needs and drop out at a disproportionately high rate. There are thus significant opportunities to improve education for newcomers in California through policies, data systems, curricula, programs development, and collaborations.

This webinar features four publications from a PACE initiative on newcomer students that brought together a group of leading experts from across research, policy, and practice to develop new knowledge about and better approaches to addressing the holistic needs of immigrant and refugee students. The panelists will shed light on opportunities for supporting newcomer students in California and improving their education experiences.

Speakers include:

• Magaly Lavadenz, Leavey Presidential Endowed Chair in Moral and Ethical Leadership and Executive Director, Center for Equity for English Learners, Loyola Marymount University; lead author of PACE report and case study San Juan Unified Newcomer Support: Promising Practices
   
• David Hansen, Co-Director, Oakland International High School Learning Lab; lead author of  PACE policy brief Guidance for District Administrators Serving Newcomer Students
   
• Sam Finn, Director of Newcomer Policy and Practice, Californians Together; author of PACE report Newcomer Education in California; coauthor of PACE policy brief Guidance for District Administrators Serving Newcomer Students
   
• Lauren Markham, Writer; author of PACE policy brief A Community School in Service of Newcomer Students: Lessons From Oakland

This webinar was moderated by Jeannie Myung, Director of Policy Research, PACE.