In addition, teachers and aides tutor students outside of class in academic subjects. School staff also provide extensive personal and social support by communicating with the parents, counseling students with personal problems, helping students through the college selection and application process, bringing college and university representatives to the school, and arranging visits to college and university campuses. Students are encouraged to remain in the program from the time they enter until they complete high school. Students attend a Saturday academy in the fall and spring semesters and a 5-week summer academy on the Kean College campus. The program includes academic instruction, career and personal counseling, peer tutoring, mentoring by Hispanic professionals, and family involvement.
Transportation is provided for all students, and parents are encouraged to attend classes.
The academic curriculum is thematically organized, based on a whole language approach, and is taught by teachers from the participating school districts. Three counselors are on the staff to teach classes and meet with students in individual and group counseling sessions throughout the summer, fall, and spring sessions. To enable immigrant students to make smooth transitions into, through, and beyond secondary school, our schools must commit to functioning as communities, building bridges to students' families and to other organizations outside the school, providing students with information about the broader U.S. culture as well as the culture of the school, and developing curricula and instruction that incorporate students' experiences, knowledge, and skills. The development of English language abilities, academic skills, and content knowledge, accompanied by support for native language development, can provide the foundation for the future success of immigrant students in secondary schools and beyond. References Center for Applied Linguistics.