Intensive Newcomer Research 2006 - 2007

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Intensive Newcomer Research 2006 - 2007

• Seven Oaks School Division
• Karen Guenther
• (Principal Special Projects)

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Seven Oaks School DivisionIntensive Newcomer
Research

• Purpose
• To conduct research exploring the demographics
  and numbers of war affected and recent immigrant
  (lt 5 yrs in Canada) families whose children are
  registered in Seven Oaks School Division schools
  with the aim of informing any educational reform
  needed to support newcomer students and their
  families.

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Seven Oaks Intensive Newcomer ResearchRESEARCH
QUESTIONS

• What is known about Canadian immigration patterns
  currently affecting the make-up of our schools
  and community?
• Are there common experiences identified by
  students families regarding backgrounds,
  immigration experiences, re-settlement in
  Manitoba, school registration, classroom
  placements educational goals?
• How many students families, who are recent
  immigrants and/or from war affected nations, have
  made their homes in the Seven Oaks SD? What are
  the ages grades of the students registered in
  Seven Oaks? What are the educational goals
  families have for their children themselves?
• What Seven Oaks supports have been important
  useful to students their families?
• Are there additional supports and/or professional
  development that would assist educators in
  supporting students families?

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UNDERSTANDING RECENT CANADIAN IMMIGRATIONDemograp
hic Changes in Canada and their Impact of Public
Education(study done by The Learning Partnership
(OISE), November 2006)

• Our system of public education is apart from
  the family the major institutional setting in
  which young people acquire values
  understandings about citizenship the dynamics
  of living in society (p. 1)
• Canada is a meritocracy. We are institutionally
  committed to advancing people on the basis of
  their capabilities their achievements, not on
  the basis of characteristics ascribed at birth,
  such as gender, race socioeconomic background .
  . . . This is especially important in Canada, a
  country that welcomes around 250,000 immigrant
  newcomers each year. (p. 2)
• Education is the institution through which much
  of socioeconomic mobility takes place . . . An
  effective public education system is all about
  fostering choice for the society and for the
  individuals who comprise that society. (p. 2)

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Demographic Changes in Canada and their Impact
of Public Education

• Public education plays a key role in shaping
  economic social opportunities for newcomers.
  Societies that do not establish a basic level of
  social cohesion (not to be confused with making
  everyone the same) pay a high price in terms of
  family breakdown, substance abuse, crime, and
  other areas of social dysfunction. (p. 5)
• The importance of staying in school cannot be
  over-estimated. An urban Canadian resident with
  only a high school diploma earns, on average, 70
  more than a high school drop out. (p. 3)

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Demographic changes impact on
public education (cont)

• Immigration Canadas Changing Face
• Canada is facing an increasingly aging population
  and a birth rate that will remain low and may
  decline further . . . However, we are a nation
  that is highly receptive to immigrants. Canada
  is a country of immigration.
• In the year 2000, 227,465 immigrants came to
  Canada. By 2005, this had risen to 262,236
  (59.6 economic immigrants, 24.2 family
  reunification, 13.6 refugees, 2.5 other) (CIC,
  2004, 2006).
• 2001 Census revealed that there were 5.4 million
  immigrants living in Canada (18.4 of the total
  Canadian population). This places Canada among
  the OECD countries with the highest proportion of
  immigrants (Australia 23, Switzerland 22.4,
  Germany 12.5, USA 12.3). (OECD website, pp.
  26-27)
• By 2017, more than 7.6 million immigrants are
  expected to be living in Canada . . . These
  immigrants will represent 22.2 of the total
  population.

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Demographic changes impact
on public education (cont)

• Ontario welcomed greater than half the immigrants
  who entered Canada between 1990 2004. Manitoba
  received, each year, the equivalent of .5 of its
  population. It is interesting to note that more
  immigrants are choosing rural regions, especially
  in the Western provinces. Based on Stats Canada
  data the Demographic changes study concluded
  that new immigrants tend to choose large urban
  centres . . Winnipeg Edmonton will likely
  experience a small or no increase of their
  immigrant population in the next 15 yrs. (p. 28)
• Notwithstanding the conclusions published in the
  Demographic changes study recent Provincial
  Nominee programs growth in immigrant settlement
  numbers are significant when considering the
  changing face of Manitoba (rural urban). CIC
  documentation in 2005 concludes that Manitobas
  recent immigrant population growth is tied to the
  Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) which allows
  provincial and territorial governments to
  actively participate in the immigration process.
  This program has grown five-fold in the past five
  years (2000-2005). The PNP has proven to be a
  model with great potential for supporting the
  regionalization of immigrants to centres outside
  Canadas three largest cities. The most active
  PNP, that of Manitoba, accounted for over 4,000
  landings in 2004, representing more than half of
  the 7,427 landings in that province that year.
  (CIC, Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration,
  2005, Section 3)
• Total newcomers to Manitoba in 2006 was almost
  11,000 (23) greater than 2005. (Citizenship
  Immigration Canada). Manitoba, for the first
  time ever, has the highest rate of immigration in
  Canada. (Winnipeg Free Press, Sept. 28, 2007,
  p. A3) Manitobas goal through the PNP is to
  double this number in the next 10 years. (see
  following slides 2006 CIC graphs Youth
  Immigration Urban/Rural Manitoba Immigration by
  Age Group)
• Like the immigrant population, the population of
  visible minorities is increasing rapidly in
  Canada. By 2017, one person out of five would
  have a visible minority identity in Canada. When
  combining immigrants visible minorities
  (immigrant Canadian born) we obtain a portrait
  of a population with a largely foreign origin.
  (pp. 30 32). By 2017, Manitoba should expect
  20,000 newcomers per year. (CIC)

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Youth Immigration by Urban / Rural Destination
Source Citizenship and Immigration Canada
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Manitoba Immigration by Age Group
Source Citizenship and Immigration Canada
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Demographic changes impact on public education
(cont)

• Asia remains the main source area (120,000 each
  year, about 50 of the total). The only source
  area that is increasing is Africa the Middle
  East. When looking at settlement patterns from
  West to East (Canada), the proportion of Asians
  diminishes while the proportion of Africans
  immigrants from the Middle East increases. (p.
  24)
• Nearly 80 of all immigrants to Canada are
  members of visible minority groups. Most of
  these immigrants are adults almost half are
  between 25 44 yrs old. The population of
  children (0 14 yrs) represents 20 of the
  total. In 2001, the median age of new immigrants
  was 24 yrs, as compared to 34 yrs for the
  Canadian born population (CIC, p. 14) (see also
  next slide Youth Immigration by Source Country)
• Visible minority immigrants were more
  disadvantaged than immigrants who were not
  visible minorities over 35 yrs visible minority
  immigrants have higher unemployment rates, lower
  incomes and higher poverty levels. (p. 45)

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Youth Immigration by Source Country
Source Citizenship and Immigration Canada
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Demographic changes impact on public education
(cont)

• Since 1995 more than 50 of all new immigrants
  are considered economic immigrants (CIC, pp.
  16-19) One of the changing Canadian immigrant
  recruitment strategies to attract more economic
  immigrants has been to increase the general level
  of education required of new immigrants . . .
  There is a striking difference in education
  attainment between economic immigrants on one
  side and family class refugees on the other.
  70 of principal economic applicants are
  university educated with 40 of their spouses
  dependents. Less than 20 of family class and
  even lower for refugees are university educated
  (CIC, 2004, 2005) (p. 21)
• Quebec Manitoba have occupied an intermediate
  position . . . Both have received a more balanced
  proportion of the 3 categories of immigrants
  (refugees, economic, family reunification) (CIC,
  2004, 2005) (p. 20)
• The immigration population without a school
  diploma or with only a trade diploma has
  decreased or stabilized (1994-2004) in both
  groups of immigrants, while the number of
  immigrants with a university diploma has been
  increasing (CIC, 2004 2005)(pp. 22-23)
• The impact of this evolution of parental
  education levels on the school age population is
  noteworthy. A population with a higher level of
  education should have a positive effect on their
  children (p. 23)

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Demographic changes impact on public education
(cont)

• However, increasing levels of education among
  immigrants has not translated into better
  knowledge of French or English knowledge of
  official languages has declined among economic
  immigrants. This decline will have a variety of
  implications for Canadas education system
  economy including such factors as literacy
  skills, labour market integration and skills
  shortages, etc. (CIC, 2004 2005) (pp. 25-26)
• The proportion of immigrants visible minorities
  with one or the two official languages as mother
  tongue has decreased between 1986 1991.
  Levels of linguistic assimilation in Canada are
  noticeable. . . . In the case of Canadians who
  are not visible minorities, linguistic
  assimilation to one of the two official languages
  affects half for whom neither English nor French
  is their mother tongue (European immigrants).
  Linguistic assimilation is lower for immigrants
  in general, just over 20, especially for
  immigrants with a visible minority identity. (p.
  43)

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Demographic changes impact on public education
(cont)

• The immigration rate to Canada is high and will
  remain so at least for the next 15 years
  featuring an increase in the visible minority
  population. This group is still very young its
  population growth will ultimately exceed the pace
  of current demographic changes. (p. 47)

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Demographic changes impact on public education
(cont)

• School Performance of Visible Minorities
  Immigrant Children
• . . . Children of immigrants general do on
  average at least as well as the children of the
  Canadian-born along each dimension of school
  performance (Canadian Composite Learning Index) .
  . . The children of immigrant parents whose first
  language is either English or French have
  especially high outcomes. The children of other
  immigrant parents have lower performance in
  reading than do other children however, their
  performance in other areas is comparable to that
  of the children of Canadian-born parents . . .
  With more years in the Canadian education system,
  the performance of these children converges to
  that of the children of Canadian-born parents . .
  . by the age 13. (Worswick, 2001, p. 13) (p. 81)
  (See following slides Manitoba Refugees by
  Country of Last Permanent Residence and Youth (0
  to 30) Immigration by Top First Languages)
• Gluszynski Dhawan-Biswal (2006) found that even
  though recent immigrant children perform less
  well than Canadian-born children, they are able
  to catch up in reading skill after 5 years in the
  country . . . Immigrant children are less likely
  to drop out of high school than are Canadian-born
  children. (p. 82)

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Manitoba Refugees by Country of Last Permanent
Residence
Source Citizenship and Immigration Canada
17
Youth (0 to 30) Immigration by Top First Languages
Source Citizenship and Immigration Canada
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School Performance of Visible Minorities
Immigrant Children (cont)

• The belief that all immigrants do very well in
  school can be misleading. Lee Gunderson of UBC
  (2004) found amazing differences in achievement
  between Mandarin speakers other groups such as
  Spanish Vietnamese speakers. These
  differences in socioeconomic status highlighting
  the high risk nature of some groups of immigrant
  students.
• Gunderson found that 40 of all immigrant
  students drop out of high school before
  graduation.
• In reviewing Stats Canada data on 26,000 15 yr
  olds from across Canada . . . it was found that
  immigrant and visible minority youth face
  incredible barriers in getting an education.
  They may struggle with language or
  discrimination, their culture may not be
  represented in textbooks or stories or their
  families might be poor . . . (Krahn Taylor,
  University of Alberta, quoted in Edmonton
  Journal, April 5, 2006 New Canadians Aim Higher
  than Native Born Counterparts)
• A pattern is emerging Aboriginals, Latin
  American immigrants and Black people born in
  Canada have lower educational attainment levels
  than other groups (less than 20), while Chinese
  (80) and Asians in general appear to have higher
  attainment levels. (p. 94)

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Demographic changes impact on public education
(cont)

• School Performance of Visible Minorities
  Immigrant Children (cont)
• Future research also is needed on the transition
  from the school system to the labour market to
  see whether children of immigrants visible
  minorities continue to succeed at a level
  comparable to the children of the Canadian-born.
  . . . Or whether goals and opportunities are
  impeded as youth become more exposed to systemic
  racism or other factors. (p. 83)
• 2001 unemployment rates clearly affected
  ethno-cultural groups in very different ways.
  2001 unemployment data closely correlated with
  education data (low school performance low
  level of education higher unemployment rates)
  (p. 96)
• Group Unemployment Rate
• Aboriginals gt 20
• Cdn born non visible minority 6.3
• Africans gt 20
• West Asians gt 20
• UK and USA lt 6
• Long term Europeans lt 6
• Cdn born Chinese other Asians lt 6

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What Communities Need to Understand About the
Immigrant Experience

• A more effective approach to immigrant settlement
  would greatly benefit newcomer families and their
  children in the school system.
• The immigrant settlement experience is a
  multi-stage process involving several different
  competing jurisdictions
• Many newcomers experience a sense of isolation
  powerlessness. Neighbourhood programs designed to
  invite and include newcomers (sports, monitoring
  initiatives, befriending programs) are needed in
  most all Canadian communities.
• Newcomers need information to make a successful
  transition to Canadian society.
• Successful labour market entry the opportunity
  to use the skills experience they bring with
  them is fundamental if newcomers are to enter
  the social economic mainstream of Canada.
  Policy / practice necessities ESL programs that
  focus on language skills that are labour market
  related better faster ways to assess prior
  learning experience credentials bridging
  programs preparatory programs for educators
  delivering high relevance ESL. (pp. 110-112)
• Source Demographic Changes in Canada and
  Their Impact on Public Education, November 2006,
  The Learning Partnership (OISE)

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Questions to Consider as We Learn about the
Seven Oaks S.D Newcomer Data

• How can schools best support newcomers dealing
  with cultural dislocation? How much emphasis
  should be placed on rapid assimilation to
  mainstream educational materials language?
  versus How much emphasis should be placed on
  maintenance of the students home language and
  culture?
• How can we best blend at the classroom level
  the maintenance of a students cultural roots and
  strengths while achieving the objectives of a
  socially cohesive society? How can we develop
  valuing diversity programs experiences in all
  classrooms? How can we build bridges between a
  students family life and classroom experience?
  How can we maximize the opportunities for
  students from different backgrounds to learn from
  one another? How can we most effectively use
  mentors community role models in the classroom
  setting?
• How can we best approach educating teachers to
  become perceptive about students different
  cultural backgrounds effectively link this
  understanding to their own teaching methods
  supporting teachers with curriculum materials
  that value diversity developing teachers whose
  vision includes an understanding of students
  family community dynamics forging connections
  between these other social realities and what
  transpires in the classroom? (p. 114)
• Source Demographic Changes in Canada and
  Their Impact on Public Education, November 2006,
  The Learning Partnership (OISE)

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Seven Oaks School DivisionQUANTITATIVE DATA
(collected Jan. March, 2007)

• Data from 22 Schools in Seven Oaks SD
• Recent immigrants (lt 5yrs)
• 751 students
• Recent Immigrant Families 575 families
• War Affected Families
• 81 families
• War Affected Students
• 101 students
• War Affected Countries
• Columbia, Sierra Leone, Congo,
• Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan,
• Uganda, Iraq, Afghanistan,
• Serbia, Ethiopia Israel,
• Russia/Israel, Libya, South Africa

• Quantitative
• Source Seven Oaks SD Schools
• of students families from war affected
  countries of students families who are
  recent immigrants (in Canada lt 5 yrs)
• Identification of students from war affected
  students including homeland yrs in Canada
  birth date, age, grade, first language EAL yrs
  of interrupted schooling

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April/2007, Seven Oaks Data by School
SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM WAR AFFECTED COUNTIES RECENT IMMIGRANT STUDENTS (less than 5 years)
A E WRIGHT 4 (Sudan, Israel) 131 (Philippines, India, Russia, Israel, England, USA, Sudan, 53 Unknown)
BELMONT 1 (South Africa) 5 (Philippines, Macedonia, S Africa)
COLLICUT 3 (Russia/Israel) 20 (Russia/Israel, Uruguay, Philippines, Russia/Bosnia, Russia, Vietnam, China)
FINNEY 0 28 (India, Philippines)
ELWICK 5 (Iraq, Uganda, Ethiopia) 74 (Philippines, Kenya, India, Iraq, Uganda, Ethiopia)
FOREST PARK 0 6 (Italy, Philippines, Poland, Iran, Philippines/Japan)
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April/2007, Seven Oaks Data by School
SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM WAR AFFECTED COUNTIES RECENT IMMIGRANT STUDENTS (less than 5 years)
GCCI 14 (DR Congo, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Israel) 53 (Philippines, Ukraine, Israel, India, Bosnia DR Congo, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, Poland, Macedonia, Germany, Portugal, Hong Kong, Ethiopia, Russia, Israel/Ukraine, Vietnam)
GOV SEMPLE 0 2 (Russia, Philippines)
H C AVERY 4 (Israel) 27 (Armenia, India, Ukraine, Israel, Philippines, Russia, Italy, Russia/Israel)
JAMES NISBET 2 (Sudan, Afghanistan) 72 (Philippines, India, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iran, Germany, USA, Korea, Laos)
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April/2007, Seven Oaks Data by School
SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM WAR AFFECTED COUNTIES RECENT IMMIGRANT STUDENTS (less than 5 years)
Leila North 2 (Afghanistan) 36 (Philippines, India, Afghanistan, Laos)
MAPLES 29 (Afghanistan, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, Israel, Sierra Leone, Rwanda/Congo 138 (China, Hong Kong, Croatia, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Burundi, Rwanda/DR Congo, Sudan, German, India, Israel, Japan, Macedonia, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Sierra Leone)
MARGARET PARK 14 (Russia/Israel, Israel) 31 (Poland, Israel, Russia/Israel, India, Russia, Israel/Russia, Israel/Ukraine, Philippines, Vietnam)
O V JEWITT 8 (Sierra Leone, Sudan, Israel 43 (Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sudan, India, Ukraine, Israel)
MORRISON 0 24 (Ukraine, Philippines, 1 Unknown)
RIVERBEND 2 (Columbia, Libya) 7 (Philippines, Columbia, Germany, Libya, India, Poland-USA)
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April/2007, Seven Oaks Data by School
SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM WAR AFFECTED COUNTIES RECENT IMMIGRANT STUDENTS (less than 5 years)
ESOMS 0 12 (Macedonia, Romania, Ukraine, Philippines, Poland)
VICTORY 7 (Israel) 17 (Israel, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Albania, Moldova, Romania)
WKCI 0 9 (Macedonia, Russia, Philippines)
W ST PAUL 0 1 (Poland)
7OAKS ADULT LEARNING CENTRE 3 (Serbia, Afghanistan) 16 (Philippines, Serbia, Afghanistan, India)
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Seven Oaks SD Data (continued)

• Quantitative data (cont)
• ESL/EAL numbers reported by 7Oaks SD 2001 - 2006
• War affected students with current Educational
  Clinical Student Services Files involvement
• Seven Oaks Newcomer Survey data collected
  February June, 2007 (Student Survey, Teacher
  Survey, Family Survey)

• 7Oaks ESL/EAL students
• 2001 227 students
• 2002 233 students
• 2003 255 students
• 2004 313 students
• 2005 336 students
• 2006 428 students
• 2007 637 students
• Sept. 30 enrolment reports
• 2007 enrolment report under revision
• Clinical Files (March 2007)
• 4 open psychology files
• 4 open speech language files

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Seven Oaks Intensive Newcomer ResearchQUALITATIVE
DATA

• Interviews and/or focus group discussions were
  used as a follow-up to written surveys completed
  by students and educators. The research focus
  was on the collection of stories describing the
  immigrant student and family experience
  re-locating to Winnipeg Seven Oaks Schools.
  Data collected from educators focused on
  educators experiences learning about and
  supporting newcomer students. Qualitative data
  collection has included
• In person interviews with newcomer students
  enrolled in the EAL program at Maples Collegiate
  (Jan/Feb, 2007)
• In person interviews with a war affected family
  focus groups individual war affected families
  (January, June July, 2007)
• Surveying interviewing educators to identify
  current or emerging experiences, trends and
  challenges regarding the support of newcomer
  students their families.
• Seven Oaks Intensive Newcomer Advisory Group
  research advisory group round table discussions

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INFORMATION GATHERING CHALLENGES

• Newcomer information such as country of origin,
  of years in Canada, yrs of interrupted schooling
  are not routinely collected by schools when a
  family registers a child. Hence, it is difficult
  to ascertain accurate divisional numbers of war
  affected and recent immigrants and related
  demographic information. Also, no previous
  comparable data is available.
• Teachers are reluctant to ask students questions
  about their families immigrant experiences.
• The nature unpredictability of parents /
  guardians work schedules makes it difficult to
  conduct newcomer family interviews. Meetings
  arranged with the assistance community immigrant
  outreach worker, and, by chance (one interview
  was conducted with a parent seated next to me
  during a domestic air flight) proved most
  effective in gathering meaningful info.
• Newcomer parents/guardians are reluctant to allow
  their children to participate in research surveys
  or interviews. This was especially seen with war
  affected families whose experiences have left
  them leery of anyone who appears to work for the
  government.

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STUDENT INTERVIEWS (Senior Years EAL class)

• All students interviewed indicated that their
  families came to Canada due to military conflicts
  and/or economic strife.
• Most war affected students interviewed arrived in
  Canada without their parents or other adult
  members of their families.
• Some war affected students spoke in matter of
  fact, emotionless terms about horrific
  experiences (e.g. witnessing friends eaten alive
  by wild animals while walking from one refugee
  camp to another).
• All students felt under pressure to learn English
  quickly, progress beyond the EAL class and
  graduate to university as soon as possible. Each
  felt that their families were depending on them.
• All students with university educated parents
  shared that their parents had not been able to
  get their homeland countries university
  educations recognized in Canada (e.g. the only
  jobs theyve been able to ascertain are at min.
  wage like midnight shifts at 7Eleven). Hence,
  the male EAL students have been required to work
  18 25 hrs / week to help make ends meet to
  send money back to family in the homeland.

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STUDENT INTERVIEWS (Senior Years EAL class)

• All students expressed that they are very lonely.
  There is little time for anything but school
  part time work. Most have made very few social
  connections in school or in Winnipeg.
• Most indicated difficulty learning about
  understanding Canadian culture and school
  culture.
• Each EAL student interviewed fit Canadian
  researcher profiles of Newcomer students eager to
  progress beyond the EAL class into regular High
  School classes despite their English language
  skills (spoken, written) being weak. Inadequate
  EAL progress leave them at risk of following the
  Canadian trend of the 40 drop out rate before
  graduating high school. (Lee Gunderson, 2006,
  English Only Instruction Immigrant Studies in
  Secondary Schools).
• Canadian American Research have revealed that
  EAL students marks suffer greatly if they do not
  take advantage of 4 5 years of EAL instruction.
  Gundersons Canadian study revealed that even
  highly motivated EAL students grades drop below
  C once removing themselves from ESL (EAL) classes
  making transitions to graduation post secondary
  very difficult.

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Newcomer Teacher Survey Data

• 67 surveys distributed 37 surveys completed
  returned
• Surveys were completed March, April May, 2007
• Respondents included 26 classroom teachers, 6
  resource teachers 5 school or divisional
  administrators 1 immigrant outreach worker
• Instructional grade levels 17 Early Years 10
  Middle Years 13 Senior Years 1 Adult Ed
• 25 respondents had taught children from war
  affected countries
• 34 respondents had taught children of families
  who have lived in Canada for fewer than 5 years.

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Newcomer Teacher Survey Data (cont)

• 26 of 37educator respondents had taught war
  affected students. Surveyed educators said
• war affected student s arrived in our classrooms
  without adequate schooling for their ages and
  lacked adequate English language proficiency for
  school success (42)
• war affected students arrived in Canada with
  interrupted or no schooling (54)
• war affected students speak one or more languages
  other than English. (65)
• language barriers hinder a students progress in
  school (62)
• war affected students require the support of a
  resource teacher (73)
• war affected students require the support of a
  guidance counselor or clinician (65)
• war affected families depend on a child to
  interpret all communications from school (65)
• war affected families live in poverty (62)
• war affected families live in Winnipeg because
  they have family or friends here (46)
• war affected families expect their children to
  get college / university educations (31)

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Newcomer Teacher Survey Data . . .

• 34 of 37educator respondents had taught recent
  immigrant students(lt 5 yrs in Canada). Surveyed
  educators said
• newcomer students arrive in our classrooms
  without adequate schooling for their age (74)
• newcomer students have conversational proficiency
  in English but inadequate English for school
  success (65)
• newcomer students require the support of a
  resource teacher, early learning support teacher
  and guidance counselor or clinician (85)
• newcomer students speak one or more languages
  other than English (91)
• language barriers hinder a students progress in
  school (71)
• parents depend on a child to interpret all info
  sent home by the school (71)
• newcomer families expect their children to get
  university educations (65)
• newcomer families often live in poverty (53)

35
School Reception Student Placement(from
teacher surveys parent interviews)

• School Registration Reception
• 32 of educators surveyed indicated that their
  school had developed and practiced a reception
  procedure geared to meeting the needs of newcomer
  students and their families. Most also indicated
  that the reception practices were difficult to
  implement.
• All families interviewed indicated that they were
  warmly received by Seven Oaks school personnel
  however, there was much they did not understand
  about Seven Oaks Schools (policies, routines,
  homework, school contact info, class placement,
  etc.) Parental focus group participants would
  like to see a newcomer info DVD or package on
  Seven Oaks Schools and opportunities for their
  children and families

• Student Placement
• 87 of educators surveyed said that newcomer
  students are routinely mainstreamed into regular
  classrooms
• 76 of educators indicated that a resource
  teacher did the testing to determine a language
  literacy needs and 54 indicated that learning
  adaptations are determined by a resource teacher
• 58 said that classroom teachers do testing to
  determine newcomer students needs and 76
  indicated that classroom teachers make the
  learning adaptations to a students program
• All parents (of senior yrs students) did not
  understand why their children were repeating so
  many things taken previously in their homeland
  schools) Early years parents had many unanswered
  questions about multi age classrooms

36
Professional Development(from Newcomer Teacher
Survey)

• 22 educators surveyed had not recd info or PD to
  assist in understanding the situations likely
  experienced by war affected students families
  11 did research on their own to improve
  understanding 6 had attended PD workshops with a
  newcomer student theme.
• Most all respondents indicated a need for
  professional development opportunities. Topics
  requested EAL (20) supporting children and
  youth from refugee backgrounds with EAL needs
  interrupted schooling (17) Canada as a
  multilingual multicultural nation (17) Cross
  cultural communication education (15)
  Aboriginal Language, education equity (18)
  Community and parental partnerships in education
  (11) Information sessions relating to the
  experiences of war affected families other
  recent immigrants (possibly with the immigrant
  outreach workers) (15).

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What educators are saying asking in focus
groups. . .

• Recent immigrants, who are skilled labourers,
  seem to arrive with less formal English language
  education. Their children require much more EAL
  support than what 7Oaks educators have
  experienced in the past.
• A language rich environment is best regardless of
  the learner.
• A students success is dependent on that
  students willingness ability to make
  connections.
• Middle Sr Yrs students with poor English
  language comprehension skills quickly exhibit
  behaviours that eventually lead to early school
  leaving.
• Without adequate support at all levels, the
  newcomer experience quickly morphs from immersion
  to submersion (e.g. there is a 20,000 30,000
  word deficit for a middle yrs EAL learner)
• We know very little about what happens to our
  newcomer students after leaving our high schools.
  Have supports been sufficient?

38
WHAT EDUCATORS ARE SAYING ASKING IN FOCUS
GROUPS . . .

• There is a need for all schools to engage in many
  bridging activities with students their
  families (de-mystifying our schools, education,
  culture, values, routines, Cdn family laws
  values, etc). Focusing on greater understandings
  bridging will foster the growth of each
  schools capacity to support newcomer students
  families.
• When registering a newcomer student how do we
  plan for that students success? How do we
  bridge the gap between academic rigour and a
  students feelings of self worth?
• Teacher professional development is key in
  understanding the needs for bridging with
  students families (e.g. learning about culture
  language differences knowing about the
  different phases that characterize the immigrant
  experience, etc.)
• Given the number of newcomer families, each
  school should develop a bank of cultural knows
  resources to foster a school staffs
  understanding support.
• Although First Nations Peoples migrating to our
  communities are not considered, by most
  definitions, to be newcomers similar to recent
  immigrants, they appear to have many of the same
  needs and fewer supports within communities than
  most recent immigrant newcomers.

39
WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING ASKING IN FOCUS GROUPS
. . .

• Why can I not have my child in a before after
  school program at my neighbourhood school?
• Why are my children repeating all of the same
  things in school this year as they learned in our
  homeland school last year?
• We were warmly welcomed by the staff at our
  childs school. However, all information was in
  English with no one to translate and no material
  in languages other than English. The schools
  need materials to explain about schools in
  Winnipeg. Winnipeg schools are very different
  from our homeland.
• Our middle and senior years children sometimes
  get some help with English. Many times the
  teacher is not available to help them with
  English.
• My son never read a book before. Now he is
  reading books all of the time (even when he goes
  to the toilet)!
• My child is very shy and I wanted to stay with
  him at the school for his first few days. The
  school would not allow me to stay with him.
• My child came home with many bruises from a
  fight at school. No one from the school informed
  me. When I asked the teacher, the teacher did
  not think it was serious.
• We feel very involved, respected and cared for
  in our sons school (early years). We have been
  invited to be involved.
• Great activities with students, teachers and
  parents together including student lead
  conferences. We could use more of these
  activities with everyone working and having fun
  together.
• Our schools infrastructure is impressive (book,
  computers, equipment).

40
What Next?Currently the Global, Canadian and
Manitoban situation, when it comes to the living
conditions of the poor, displaced,
disenfranchised, is to shame all levels of
government, NGOS and other groups into
recognizing a broader picture of concerns and
issues hopefully resulting in pro-active policies
and actions. (Keynote Human Rights Social
Justice Conference University of Wpg, Feb.
2007)Let the Seven Oaks Educational Community
continue to be the leaders we publicly are viewed
as being by acting on the following
recommendations . . .

41
RECOMMENDATIONS

• Given increasing newcomer and EAL student and
  family numbers in the Seven Oaks School Division
• Develop a divisional reception registration
  process for newcomer families their children
  including multi-lingual school/division info
  (general school info, school calendar/routines,
  etc.). Include or follow up with the community
  immigrant outreach worker. Consider the
  development of a multilingual DVD website link
  in which music pictures may be most effective
  in sharing who we are in 7Oaks. Translate
  divisional school websites, newsletters and key
  informational letters into the most common
  languages found in the division and schools
  catchments.
• Annually review newcomer registration numbers,
  ages grades of children, homeland countries and
  languages. Follow up by providing support and
  resources to match newcomer registrant numbers
  where needed.
• Study middle senior years EAL student numbers
  years of EAL support/instruction graduation
  rates social development and post secondary
  directions. Are we providing adequate
  instruction support to ensure all students
  develop the level of English proficiency reqd
  for school and workplace success?

42
RECOMMENDATIONS (cont)

• Consider the development of an EAL transition
  program for middle senior years newcomer
  students. Its purpose would be to support
  students in language cultural transitions
  without having to feel overly self conscious in
  front of their Canadian born peers. examples
  LEAP program (Toronto) sheltered classroom
  (Louis Riel SD)
• Host a student leadership workshop for newcomer
  students where they would share experiences,
  challenges, aspirations, needs, etc. and learn
  avenues to achieve their goals.
• Develop more EAL Adult Education courses and
  opportunities within Seven Oaks School Division.
  Many newcomers do not have vehicles or childcare.
  Explore the possibility of workshops and/or
  courses available (at cost) at locations on both
  sides of McPhillips (evenings and weekends)

43
RECOMMENDATIONS (cont)

• Professional Development for teachers and all
  Seven Oaks staff
• Consider the development of a divisional
  committee that would review divisional newcomer
  numbers and coordinate workshops / courses
  fostering
• - generative thinking (the ability to add to
  understandings in complex dynamic settings all
  the while applying knowledge to learn new topics
  and solve new unfamiliar problems (generative
  thinking, Dr. Arnetha Ball, Stanford
  University, November, 2006) (knowledge becomes
  generative when the learner sees the need to
  integrate new knowledge with existing knowledge
  while continually reconsidering existing
  knowledge in light of new knowledge). Given the
  ever changing face of our communities it is
  essential that we think generatively in order to
  understand people, cultures and ways of meeting
  educational needs.
• - greater knowledge understanding of newcomer
  students families (their experiences, stages
  of the immigrant experience, refugee experiences,
  cultural language similarities differences)
• - supportive EAL strategies (consider the
  parallels between French Immersion the English
  immersion experienced by newcomer students)
• - effective communications with non-English
  speaking families (school home partnerships)
• - development of multi-lingual resource banks
  (print non print materials featuring
  languages and cultures)

44
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