Newcomer Toolkit (U.S. Department of Education)

Schools are among the first U.S. institutions to welcome newcomer immigrants and refugees to local communities. Meeting the physical, linguistic, social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs of these students and their families is essential to their success and can be an opportunity for educators and community members across the country to reflect upon and enhance their practices and processes. Accordingly, this toolkit is a resource for state, local, and school leaders to support multilingual learners (MLs)* and general education educators who directly serve immigrant and refugee students.

The toolkit consists of five chapters:

• Chapter 1: Who Are Newcomers?
• Chapter 2: Welcoming Newcomers to a Safe, Inclusive, and Thriving School Environment
• Chapter 3: Supporting Newcomers’ Social and Emotional and Mental Health Needs
• Chapter 4: Providing High-Quality Instruction for Newcomers
• Chapter 5: Establishing Partnerships With Families

Each chapter includes (1) discussion of topics relevant to understanding, supporting, and engaging newcomer students and their families or guardians; (2) tools, research-based strategies, and examples of classroom and schoolwide practices in action; (3) chapter-specific professional learning activities for use in staff meetings or professional learning communities; and (4) selected resources for further information and assistance, most of which are available online at no cost. Readers will also find an appendix that summarizes the instructional context and student demographic profile for each school highlighted in the toolkit.