Education - Cultural Resources - Information for Newcomers to the United States

The Education System and Afghan Newcomers

Classroom icon "The U.S. Department of Education recognizes that there is an immediate and urgent need to provide high-quality, culturally responsive education to Afghan newcomers – inclusive of primary, secondary, and English language learning as well as social and emotional learning. Many Afghan allies and their families protected our troops, supported our diplomatic community, and served our country. We welcome them into our nation, as we do with every child who comes to or enters the country regardless of their immigration status, and we are committed to providing them with an equitable and excellent education." -- From the Dear Colleague Letter linked below.

Dear Colleague Letter
This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) shares information about funds and resources available to school districts in the U.S.

Watch the video below to learn about how to United States Education System is structured.

Links to Resources for K-12 Education

Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program
TITLE VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The McKinney-Vento program is designed to address the problems that homeless children and youth have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. Under this program, State educational agencies (SEAs) must ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children and youth.
Fact Sheet: Confronting Discrimination Based on National Origin and Immigration Status
Public schools must be open to all students, but sometimes students face discrimination because of their national origin or immigration status. These forms of discrimination limit students’ access to education and are against the law. All children in the United States have an equal right to enroll and participate in public elementary and secondary schools without regard to their or their parents’ or guardians’ immigration status.
Questions & Answers: School Enrollment
These Questions and Answers are intended to assist states and school districts in meeting their legal obligations to ensure that their enrollment1 policies and practices at the elementary and secondary school levels do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin, and do not bar or discourage students’ enrollment in elementary and secondary school based on their or their parents’ actual or perceived immigration status.
Welcoming Afghan Students and Families: A Workshop for US Educators (Switchboard)
Archived Webinar. The Refugee Educator Academy at the Center for Learning in Practice, in partnership with Childhood Education International, presented Welcoming Afghan Students & Families, a half-day conference for educators who support Afghan students and families newly arriving in the United States. The focus of the virtual learning event was preparing registrants to provide the support needed to the arriving students and families, ranging from creating a welcoming environment to being aware of mental health concerns.
Teaching English Language Learners
Across the country, teachers and other educators share the exciting but sometimes difficult challenge of teaching English, literacy skills, and academic content to a growing number of English language learners (ELLs). This is a rich section filled with strategies, ideas, recommendations, resources, videos, and news from the ELL field.
Wisconsin: ELL Resources
The most common five languages spoken by ELLs in Wisconsin are Spanish, Hmong, Chinese, Arabic, and Somali. (U.S. Dept. of Education, National Center for Education Statistics). Wisconsin was the lead state of WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) when it was created in 2003. WIDA is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners which offers states programming for identifying and annually assessing the English language development of its English learners.
Refugee School Impact Grant
The Refugee School Impact Grant helps refugee children ages 5 – 18 succeed in school. This program also helps refugee parents understand the school system and provide the support their children need to succeed.

Links to Resources for Higher Education

How to College
A series of videos for Intermediate and Advanced English speakers, this series helps people decide whether or not to go to college, how to select the right school for their needs, and how to prepare to be a college student.
Working Together to Strengthen America’s Immigrant Workforce: Partnerships Between Community Colleges and Immigrant-Serving Organizations
The Refugee School Impact Grant helps refugee children ages 5 – 18 succeed in school. This program also helps refugee parents understand the school system and provide the support their children need to succeed.
Designing and Delivering Career Pathways at Community Colleges
This guide provides two-year colleges and community colleges with 5 specific recommendations for supporting occupational skills training through career pathways.
Resources on Financial Aid, Scholarly & Student Advocacy Groups
Links to various organizations that provide scholarships, promote immigrant rights, and support student advocacy.
National Immigration Law Center - Access to Post Secondary Education Toolkit
Toolkit contents include resources on financial aid & scholarships for students regardless of status and information about immigrant rights, student advocacy groups and other resources.
Federal Student Aid (FSA)
When your school financial aid office sends you an aid offer, they’ll ask you to indicate which financial aid you want. Look carefully at your options and make an informed decision.
Learn to Earn Toolkit
A free online resource created to guide adult learners in building workplace skills. This resource is for intermediate and advanced adult learners of English and basic skills. Created in response to the report "Are They Really Ready to Work?" Register for a free account. Create your personal account and profile to:
-- Be introduced to 10 topic areas of learning for the workforce
-- Learn specific lessons within each topic area
-- Explore career possibilities
-- Learn new vocabulary in context