86 ESL teacher and ESL class helped them learn English. Figure 2 summarizes the similarities and differences between the participant and nonparticipant responses. Secondary newcomers are a distinctive population in secondary schools who cannot be ignored. These students come to the United States with the vision of earning a high school diploma that will allow them to achieve the American dream. One of the many great things about the United States of America is the free public education that is offered to every child living in the United States. Adolescents enrolling in secondary schools come from all different countries in which they have had varying experiences with schooling. The current study found that students from varying backgrounds reported positive experiences in U.S. schools. The current study also found that the secondary newcomers who did not participate in the specialized program scored significantly higher on the state assessment. This could lead to the conclusion that adolescents rise to the challenge at a quicker rate when they are around peers of varying abilities rather than a homogeneous group of students with similar abilities. This specialized secondary newcomer program was necessary in the District of the current study to raise awareness of this distinct population of students to ensure that secondary newcomers were receiving the specialized instruction needed in order to acquire language and content simultaneously. It is imperative that district administrators, school leaders, and secondary teachers understand that secondary newcomers are a distinct group of ELs. Secondary newcomers require specialized language instruction. The specialized instruction of acquiring English and academic content simultaneously will provide secondary newcomers the ability to graduate high school and achieve the American dream. References Creswell, J. (2015). Educational research planning, conduction, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (5th ed.). Pearson Education Inc. Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. J. (2004). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP model (2nd ed.). Pearson Education Inc. Palea, L. L., & Bostina-Bratu, S. (n.d.). Age and its influence on second language acquisition. Revista Academiei Forţelor Terestre, 4(80). Retrieved from http://www. armyacademy. ro/reviste/rev4_2015/Palea.pdf Seidlitz, J., Base, M., Lara, M., & Smith, H. (2016). ELLs in Texas what teachers need to know. Seidlitz Education. Sheng, Z., Sheng, Y., & Anderson, C. J. (2011). Dropping out of school among ELL students: Implications to schools and teacher education. Clearing House, 84(3), 98–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2010.538755 Anmarie Garcia, EdD About the Author Dr. Anmarie Garcia serves as an Elementary Principal in the Hurst Euless Bedford Independent School District. Other previous positions held include Coordinator of Bilingual, ESL, Spanish Immersion and World Languages as well as Assistant Principal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and Spanish from Principia College, a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas, and a Doctor of Education Degree in Educational Leadership K-12 from Dallas Baptist University. She can be reached at gonzalezanmarie@yahoo. com.
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