Articles & Blogs

Equity & Social and Emotional Learning:  A Cultural Analysis - Examination of the CASEL core SEL framework from an equity lens - Measuring SEL-Frameworks Briefs, Jagers, Rivas-Drake & Borowski, 2018

Five Strategies to Welcome Newcomers into Your Classroom - WIDA, 2024

Four Ways to Lower the Affective Filter - Resilient Educator, 2017

Grade Retention Policy Brief - Oklahoma University, Lake, 2024

Guide: Supporting English Language Learners at Enrollment - ISBE, October 2024.

Helping Refugee Students Feel Safe - Edutopia, Brenneise

Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions: Theory and Examples - Simply Psychology, Nickerson, 2023

How the Treacherous Darién Gap Became a Migration Crossroads of the Americas - Migration Policy Institute, Pappier, 2023

How to Move from "Main Idea" to "Background Knowledge" - Edutopia, Terada, 2024

How to Support ELL Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE/SLIFE) - ¡Colorín colorado!, Robertson & Lafond

How to Welcome a New Student: A Guide for Teachers, Created by Students. - CUNY-IIE, June 2023

Language Discordance: Lost in Translation - Harvard Graduate School of Education, Ross, 2024

Language Experience Approach (LEA) in a Nutshell - Nessel & Dixon

Language Experience Approach (LEA): A Synopsis - Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)

Making Students and Families Feel Welcome - ¡Colorín colorado!

Naming Conventions in Non-English Languages - Institute of Educational Science and REL Northwest

Panama to Shut Down Darién Gap Route in Deal that Will See US Pay to Repatriate Migrants - The Guardian, 7/1/2024

Report of the Immigrant Impact Task Force - Illinois Department of Human Services, May 2023

Serving Newcomer Students: Voices from the Field - Illinois School Board Journal, Latino Policy Forum, Garibay, Vonderlack-Navarro, Marler, Lopez, Salem, Perkins, and Pirtle, Jan/Feb. 2024

SLIFE:  Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education - WIDA Focus On Bulletin, Austin, Belden, Cammilleri, Hernández-Manno, Holmes, Keppler, Marler, Morales, Short, and Snow, 2015

Social and Emotional Supports for Newcomers - National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA), Elevating ELs

Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE/SIFE): Understanding Who They Are - American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Custodio & O'Loughlin, 2020

Total Physical Response (TPR) Overview

Understanding Refugee Trauma: For School Personnel - The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

What's an Affective Filter and How Does It Affect English Language Learning? - FluentU, Hostetler, 2023

Hubs

Bathroom Briefs - Tan Huynh

Bibliography of Related Professional References

Boosting Achievement:  The ESL Podcast - voicEd Radio, Carol Salva

Bridging Refugee Youth & Children's Services - BRYCS

Catholic Charities

City University of New York - Initiative on Immigration and Education - CUNY-IIE

Compilation of Intake Resources

Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain - Zaretta Hammond

Dimensions of Culture - Geert Hostede

Educating Immigrant & Refugee Students Padlet - Custodio and O'Loughlin

Heartland Alliance 

Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan: Overview and Phase I - Implementation - Illinois State Board of Education, Spring 2024

Office of Refugee Resettlement - US Department of Health and Human Services

Psychological First Aid (PFA) - National Child Traumatic Stress Network and National Center for PTSD

Refugee One

Resources for New Arrivals in Chicago - Latino Policy Forum

📌STRONG for Schools - Supporting Transition Resilience of Newcomer Groups - SEL Intervention program for K-12 newcomers developed by the School of Mental Health, Ontario, Canada and endorsed by The Center for Childhood Resilience, Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL

Supporting Newcomer Students: Resource Gallery  - ¡Colorín colorado!

The Center for Culturally Proficient Educational Practice

📌The National Newcomer Network

US DOE Newcomer Toolkit

Welcoming Immigrants and Refugees - Illinois Department of Human Services

World Relief

Immigration Rights Under Threat of Deportation

Legislative & Executive Order News

Illinois Safe Schools for All (HB3247) - Legislative Synopsis and Key Tasks for District and School Administrators

🔥 NEW! Planning for Implementation of the Illinois Safe Schools for ALL (HB3247) for District and School Administrators

🔥 NEW! Illinois TRUST ACT (2017)

🔥 NEW! Chicago's Welcoming Ordinance (1985) 

🔥 NEW! Chicago's ICE Free Zone Executive Order (2025)

Sign up with the National Immigration Forum to receive federal legislative updates in your inbox every Friday afternoon. Link to sign up.

2/7/25 - Legislative Bulletin - National Immigration Forum

1/24/25 - Legislative Bulletin - National Immigration Forum

1/17/2025 - Legislative Bulletin - National Immigration Forum

1/10/25 - Legislative Bulletin - National Immigration Forum

12/20/24 - Legislative Bulletin - National Immigration Forum

12/13/24 - Legislative Bulletin - National Immigration Forum

12/5/24 - Legislative Bulletin - National Immigration Forum

📌 Trump's Deportation Plan is Said to Start in Chicago on 1.21.25 - New York Times, January 17, 2025

Resources

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

🔥 NEW! Chicago's 40+ Years History as a Sanctuary City, Chicago Tribune, February 7, 2017

Essential Resources for Immigrants & Allies - Latino Policy Forum

Family Preparedness Plans - Immigrant Legal Resource Center

📌 How School Districts Can Take Action to Protect Their Immigrant Students - The Century Foundation

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)

Immigrant Legal Resource Center 

Illinois Office of the Attorney General Kwame Raoul

Illinois Welcoming Centers

Immigrant Students' Rights:  A Guide for School Front Office Staff - Education Week, October 2, 2024

Indiana House Bill 1394. Authority to deny entry to unlawful immigrants. Authored by Rep. Jim Lucas

Illinois State Board of Education Non-Regulatory Guidance on Immigrant Enforcement Action, January 2025

📌 Know Your Rights Presentation in English & Spanish - DeKalb, Illinois, Northern Illinois Alliance for Immigrants, January 15, 2025

National Immigrant Justice Center - in partnership with the Chicago Legal Protection Fund

National Immigration Law Center 

📌 Non-Regulatory Guidance for Immigrant Enforcement Actions - Illinois State Board of Education, January 22, 2025.

Red Cards - Downloadable and Printable in Multiple Languages - Immigrant Legal Resource Center

School Crisis Playbook: Deportation Response - Fugees Family, December 2024

Strategies to Help Children Impacted by ICE Raids - English (IDRA)

Strategies to Help Children Impacted by ICE Raids - Spanish (IDRA)

🔥 NEW! Temporary Protection Status (TPS) Explanation and Updates, July 10, 2025

The Young Center: Immigrant Children's Rights

United We Dream 

Phone Hotline:  1-844-363-1423            

                Text Hotline:  877877

Infographics

A Public School's Guide to Enrolling and Supporting Immigrant Students - Ed Week October 2024

Culture Tree - Zaretta Hammond

Cultural Variants - Barbara Marler

Essential Visual, Graphic, and Interactive Supports - WIDA

Fast Facts - Acculturation - Skokie SD 68

Fast Facts - Stressors for Newcomers -Skokie 68

Fast Facts - A Scope and Sequence for Survival English - Skokie SD 68

SIOP Components - Jana Echevarria &Deborah Short 

Math Operations Vocabulary - Mountaintop Educational Consulting, Mary DeSimone

Plyler v. Doe Infographic for School Offices & Registration - Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA)

Power of Hello Placemat (CISA)

Welcoming Immigrant Students to School (IDRA, January 2025)

WIDA Essential Supports

Real-World Samples

📌 General Guidance for Instruction & the Sociocultural Context for Newcomers - Barbara Marler

Intake Interview - Skokie SD 68

Internal School Communication - 1st two weeks -Skokie SD 68

Internal School Communication - 1st month -Skokie SD 68

Internal School Communication - 2nd month - Skokie SD 68

Internal School Communication - 3rd & 4th months - Skokie SD 68

Internal School Communication at Transition - 5th & 6th months  - Skokie SD 68

Slide Decks

Guiding Reading for Entering and Beginning Multilingual Learners - Chrissy Han

Digital Translation Tools - Barbara Marler

Videos

ENL New Arrival High School Students:  Encouraging Communication in a New Language - Mindy Lewis Hitch, Ben Davis 9th Grade Center, Wayne Township, IN - a 10 minute video

How to Use TPR in the Classroom  - E-JOY English Online - a 9 minute video

Immersion & Moises - Media That Matters - a 12 minute video

Just the Facts: Steve Balmer Talks Through the Numbers - a 15 minute video

Language Experience Approach (LEA) - Aurora Public Schools - a 5 minute video.

My Favorite Language Development Strategy for Newcomers & SLIFE - Alyona's Class - an 11 minute video

The Most Traveled Migration Route on Earth: Guatemala to the USA - ENDEVR Documentary, 2022 - an 1.5 hr. documentary

Spotlight on Total Physical Response for Older Learners - Project REEP - 4 minute video

The Trek: A Migrant Trail to America - The Whole Story (Part I) - CNN, Anderson Cooper, 2023 - a 15 minute video

The Trek: A Migrant Trail to America - The Whole Story (Part II - V) - CNN, Anderson Cooper, 2023 - a 12 minute video

Traveling the Deadly Darién Gap Migrant Route to the USA - Channel 4 News - a 15 minute video

Why & How to Modify Newcomer and SLIFE Assessments - Alyona's Class - a 12 minute video

US DOE Names Newcomer Program at Atlantic City High School in New Jersey a Model for the Nation - NJTV News