Immigrant and refugee youth who enter the United States during their secondary school years face a daunting set of challenges. In addition to learning a new language and adjusting to U.S. classroom norms, they must quickly fill gaps in their subject-matter knowledge and pass the courses required to graduate high school before aging out of the system. For some, the pressure to go from limited literacy to a high school diploma in a few years can be overwhelming. The supports these newcomers receive—either directly in schools and through the community-based organizations with which districts partner—have the power to shape these students' future educational and career trajectories.

School districts across the United States are honing their approaches to help newcomer students meet the challenges they face—from developing processes to identify students' academic and socioemotional needs, to connecting them with mental-health and legal supports, and tailoring curricular pathways in ways that balance student needs with policy constraints.

Read the full research article by Julie Sugarman about refugee students from Migration Policy Institute