Who Goes to Newcomer Schools? Las Americas Middle School

Newcomer programs aim to serve newly arrived immigrant students by providing specialized instruction and nonacademic support beyond what is offered in traditional English learner classrooms. In Houston ISD, Las Americas is a standalone program that serves newcomer students in grades 4–8. Given the growth of newly arrived immigrant students in the district, it is important to understand what characteristics predict whether students and families choose to enroll in a newcomer program. An analysis of 12 years of administrative data showed that economically disadvantaged students, students from sub-Saharan Africa and Central America, students with lower levels of oral English proficiency, and students who lived close to the school were most likely to enroll at Las Americas. Additionally, results suggest that the school’s outreach and recruitment strategies were associated with enrollment. Finally, the implementation of the school’s grade level expansion and school busing policy both had positive impacts on enrollment.