This Spotlight article presents information from various perspectives and resources for those working with refugee students. Like other children in the United States, refugee children attending school in the U.S. are subject to the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which was signed into law in 2002 and reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The legislation singled out several “protected groups” of students for whom testing data is to be assessed separately, to ensure “continuous and substantial improvement.” In addition to limited English proficient (LEP) students being a group warranting special assessment, NCLB includes one whole section (Title III) devoted to “Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students.” Refugee students, at least in their initial years after arrival, are likely to fall under the LEP category, and many will also fall under one or more of the other protected categories. Thus, NCLB presents both opportunities and challenges for refugee families and educators, which this article addresses. Promising practices and highlighted resources are included.
