Journal of K-12 Educational Research 83 order to gain academic content in a short period of time to ensure eligibility to obtain a high school diploma. Although there is no statistical data that supports the ELL high school dropout rate, the ELL population is at great risk of dropping out of high school (Sheng et al., 2011). The high school dropout risk can be caused by English proficiency, family socioeconomic status, or cultural differences. Poor academic achievement is related to high school dropout rates. English proficiency has been directly related to academic achievement and standardized tests scores, and therefore, it has a large impact on high school completion (Sheng, et al., 2011). The issue of age in terms of language acquisition continues to be a point of interest both on the theoretical level and practical application of the school setting. The belief that the brain of a child has the ability to absorb new information as a part of developmental growth led to the conclusion that older children will struggle more with language acquisition compared to young children (Palea & Bostina-Bratu, n.d.). Researchers before the mid-1990s claimed that people who learned a second language after puberty kept an accent, while those who acquired the language before puberty did not retain an accent (Palea & Bostina-Bratu, n.d.). There are dissenting theories in current research that reveal adolescents and adults are able to attain levels of second language proficiency comparable to native speakers (Palea & Bostina-Bratu, n.d.). No actual advantages have been found for young learners of a second language from the results of the studies in regard to language acquisition (Palea & Bostina-Bratu, n.d.). The two common factors that all secondary newcomers share are learning English as a second language and migrating to the United States. There are other elements that influence English language acquisition and academic achievement in secondary school in the United States. Secondary newcomers are different in other key areas, such as proficiency in the native language, the parents’ English language skills and educational history, academic experiences, immigration status (documented or undocumented), economic status in the native country and the United States, the amount of trauma experienced in the native country during the migration to the United States, the family unit beliefs and support, and constancy in the American educational system (Echevarria et al., 2004; Walqui, 2000). The current study focused on a suburban public school district in North Texas which had seen an influx in the enrollment of secondary newcomer students in the 5 years prior to the current study. The sheer diversity of the newcomer students has proven to be a challenge for the teachers, administrators, and support staff because of the inability to support students in their native language. Students are arriving from countries such as Nepal, Congo, Mexico, El Salvador, and Sudan. The native language of secondary newcomers is no longer just Spanish; it is Nepali, French, and Arabic. In the current accountability system both nationally and statewide, ELLs are measured by academic success and high school completion. The District is a high performing school district. The enrollment at the time of the current study was over 23,000 students with over 50% of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch by federal guidelines. When a student enrolls in a secondary setting with limited English ability, the challenge is difficult for both student and teacher. The challenge for the student is sitting in a class with 30 other students and not understanding anything that the teacher or the other students are saying, reading, or writing. The challenge for the teacher is the frustration of not knowing how to meet the needs of these students because of their inability to communicate in English. There is a need to determine what type of program leads to the success of students who enroll in U.S. schools for the first time in a secondary setting with limited English proficiency. The success of the students is determined by the attainment of the necessary credits and meeting standard on the state assessments to obtain a high school diploma. The current study employed a mixed methods approach in an effort to describe the effectiveness of a secondary newcomer program on student achievement through results from a standardized state assessment and student perceptions of the program. The purpose of an experimental mixed methods design is to add qualitative
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