BVSD Newcomer program

Like in many states, Colorado school districts have experienced a high number of newly arrived migrants this year and are working to come up with new ways of how to handle the influx. The Colorado Department of Education’s newly formed District Improvement Strategy Office has created a learning cohort of districts to collaborate and share best practices.

In early February, the unit hosted a convening for 60 educators from 19 school districts at Boulder Valley School District to tour its newcomer programs, hold a roundtable discussion and learn about how the suburban district is handling the challenges. The unit is planning more for later this spring.

BVSD has enrolled about 600 newcomer students in the last year, including 240 who came after the state’s October student count that determines how much money a district receives every year. The district put together a targeted plan to handle the new arrivals – creating an intake session to get to know the kids and their families, providing two full periods of English language development for each school and supporting them in the other classes. The schools also provide after-school activities, like a dance club, sports and outdoor education.

To see what the cohort is doing, check out this webpage.

News media that covered the cohort meeting:

• The Daily Camera
• Colorado Public Radio