The document discusses the educational challenges faced by refugee students and provides recommendations for best practices to support their education. Some of the key challenges identified include interrupted education, lack of English proficiency, trauma from past experiences, and difficulties adjusting to a new school system and culture. The document recommends practices for teachers, administrators, and engaging refugee families such as providing language support, fostering relationships, addressing social and emotional needs, involving parents, and conducting diversity trainings. Educators from New Haven also provided input on common problems refugees face and potential solutions to improve communication between schools and refugee families.

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EDUCATING REFUGEE STUDENTS
Travis Snow, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS), New Haven, CT
And Yale University, Jackson Institute for Global Affairs1
( travis.snow@yale.edu ) / For more information visit www.irisct.org
The educational challenges refugee students face are particularly demanding. Having been forced
to flee their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution, refugee families have
already overcome tremendous obstacles before arriving in the United States. In addition to the
displacement and trauma refugee children typically encounter in their home countries before
being resettled, they have the added burden of being deprived of education. Some refugee
children have their schooling interrupted for several years or more, while others arrive to the
United States without any formal education at all. Moreover, schools in developing countries are
often very different from those in the United States, with large divergences in everything from
school curricula to student-teacher relationships to physical facilities. It is thus difficult to make
generalizations about refugee students due to the enormous diversity of their circumstances.
Nonetheless, a growing body of research on refugee students, both from the United States as well
as from other host countries receiving resettled refugee populations, provides valuable insights to
educators on the unique challenges facing these students, as well as a number of ‘best practices’
to follow for guidance.
The unique psychosocial and emotional needs of refugee students present tremendous
challenges to refugee students, their families, and educators. Research has shown that one-third
of refugee youth experience significant symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and up to
one half of refugee youth suffer from depression (Stewart, 2011).
1
This investigation was greatly facilitated by a number of individuals. I would like to especially
thank Tanya Adametz of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services; Laura Gardner from Bridging
Refugee Youth & Children’s Services; Francine Sengiyunva for translating for Swahili-speaking
parents; and Kristina Mendoza, True Fezer Wolff, and another anonymous educator from the
New Haven Public Schools for their invaluable assistance and perspectives

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In addition to the psychological challenges faced by refugee students are added the practical
difficulties of communicating in a new language, the economic difficulties faced by refugee
families, who often live below the poverty line, and the frustration of adjusting to a new
education system and a new culture.
Refugee children are often forced to grow up and perform adult functions far earlier than
their American peers. Older refugee children are commonly expected to work to support the
family, given the low-paying jobs most refugees in the United States take, at least initially.
Older siblings are often expected to perform child-care duties, while parents work long
hours. The result is further interruption in the education of refugee youths who are likely already
behind academically. Moreover, refugee children typically learn English considerably
quicker than their parents, and are often needed to serve as translators for their parents.
Thus, refugee children often become involved in difficult adult problems (particularly
financial difficulties) which children wouldn’t ordinarily be aware of, an additional
psychological burden on an already strained child.
Of the many educational challenges confronting refugee families, perhaps the most immediately
frustrating problem to both refugee families and educators is difficulty communicating.
Among the numerous other difficulties of resettlement, parents are frustrated in a new system
they aren’t familiar with and can’t easily ask questions about. Teachers are frustrated by
difficulties communicating with refugee students and their families. Refugee children are
frustrated when they are unable to understand expectations, communicate their needs, and make
friends with their peers. Problems are difficult to solve on all sides, leading many refugee
students and their parents to report feeling alienated and/or isolated in their schools.
Research on refugee and other immigrant students demonstrates that, among the various factors
analyzed, English Language Proficiency was determined to be the most important predictor
of a student’s degree of success in school (Gerhard and Holton, 2010). In addition to the
importance of English fluency for academic success, language skills are also important to detect
social nuances.
An important point for educators working with refugee students is the distinction between
verbal/conversational English skills (BICS: “Basic Interpersonal Conversational Skills”)
and academic English skills (CALP: “Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency”).
Research demonstrates that while verbal English competency can be acquired in a few years, it
takes on average five to seven years under optimal conditions to develop the level of language
skills needed to be competitive with native-born English speaking peers. Teaching of English as
a Second Language (TESOL) Teachers use the term ‘Student with Interrupted Formal Education’
(SIFE) to describe language learners who are significantly behind their peers in terms of number
of years of formal education they have received.

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Recommendations of Best Practices
for Educators working with Refugee Students2
The Gates Foundation’s (2006) recommendation for schools to provide the “new 3 Rs” of rigor,
relevance, and relationships with adults “who know them, look out for them, and push them to
achieve” is apt advice for school systems working with refugee students. The following ‘best
practices’ are recommendations of how to achieve these goals.
For School Teachers:
The goals of teachers working with refugee children should include supporting refugee student’s
adjustment, involving refugee students in school activities, and being a culturally sensitive
teacher who creates a safe and accepting environment for all students.
 Involve parents or guardians as much as possible. In addition to the challenges of
communication, work schedules, transportation, and younger children, in many cultures it
is considered a sign of disrespect to engage with the school because it is seen as
questioning the teacher’s expertise and authority. Nonetheless, make consistent efforts to
involve parents. Make it as easy and convenient as possible for them to be involved, and
keep trying if your first attempt is not successful.
 Increase your understanding of international issues. Many refugee students come
from countries in conflict. Ask refugee students about their life and home country, while
also being sensitive to the traumatic experiences refugees have likely gone through.
Avoid asking direct questions about their persecution story. Read news stories and seek
information about your students’ countries of origin, including current events as well as
the country’s culture and traditions. If appropriate to your class subject, incorporate
international issues into your curriculum with activities and projects.
 Understand culture shock. Given the tremendous differences between the United States
and students’ countries of origin, refugee students will likely need a transition period in
order to overcome the initial disorientation of life at school. While some refugee children
may have already received several years of Western-style education in their home
country, others may have received little or no formal education previously, and will thus
need greater time to adjust. Most refugee children have experienced at least some
disruption in their education, some for several years or more.
2
Adapted from Helping Young Refugees and Immigrants Succeed (Sonnert, Gerhard and Gerald Holton; Palgrave
Macmillan, 2010) p 200-206, Supporting Refugee Children: Strategies for Educators (Stewart, Jan; University of
Toronto Press, 2011) p 287-295, and Education Reugees and Asylum Seekers (Demirdjian, Lala; Continuum, 2012) p
24-25

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 Foster the engagement of refugee students in their schools, and strengthen their
relationships with other students and educators. Give extra attention to encourage
refugee students to participate in extracurricular activities, clubs, music and sports
programs. Refugee parents may be unfamiliar with how to get their children involved in
these activities, so their children may need extra encouragement and guidance.
 Promote the leadership development of refugee students. Encourage refugee students
to take part in activities which develop their leadership skills. Get to know the distinctive
skills and gifts refugee students, with their unique life perspectives and experiences,
possess and help them utilize these skills to increase their success. Consider creating a
youth advisory structure in your school to institutionalize youth participation and
leadership.
 Increase the availability of tutors for refugee students; consider developing a peer
tutoring system
 Listen to and encourage students. Show students that you care about them and that you
are an adult who they can trust and confide in. Listen actively to your students, while
remaining sensitive to their experiences. Promote a productive and collaborative working
relationship between refugee students and school staff.
 Display culturally diverse materials and resources in your classroom. Display
posters, books, and other materials on international themes and on refugee issues. Make
these materials accessible to students, and incorporate them in your lesson plans.
 Educate students about the importance of diversity. Discuss topics of culture, human
rights, and refugee issues with your students. Emphasize the unique strengths and
perspectives refugee students bring to your school.
 Address issues of racism, discrimination, and bullying against refugee and
immigrant students. Take issues or racism, discrimination, stereotyping, racial profiling,
or prejudicial attitudes seriously. Use adverse behavior as an opportunity to educate
students about issues of diversity, human rights, and citizenship.
 Conduct diversity trainings for school staff designed to increase the awareness of
teachers and other staff about refugee issues
 Divide students on the basis of language and academic ability rather than age for
academic enrichment activities

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 Promote a nurturing, nonjudgmental and safe environment in all activities on the
part of both adults and peers. Recruit adults and peers who are caring, committed, and
strong communicators to serve as role models and mentors for refugee youth.
 Know when to refer. When there are safety issues, make a referral to a qualified
individual or agency. For example, the Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital has a range
of resources for children : http://www.ynhh.org/yale-new-haven-childrens-
hospital/medical-services/psychiatry.aspx
 Maintain high expectations
 Pursue professional development opportunities
 Promote healthy habits (including health and hygiene) and provide life skills training
(including home safety and financial literacy) to refugee families
Engaging Refugee Families:
 Go out of your way to bridge the cultural and linguistic gaps between refugee families
and the school system. Help orient families on issues such as school requirements,
standards and expectations. Facilitate communication between parents, school staff, and
advocacy organizations such as IRIS.
 Foster parent involvement by engaging refugee parents early on. Clearly communicate
expectations and responsibilities and make an effort to involve them in school activities
 Highlight the importance of parental involvement by making periodic home visits to
discuss the progress and challenges facing refugee students.
 Collaborate with all stakeholders invested in the success of refugee students to plan
interventions. Seek collaboration and input from teachers and administrators, hold staff
meetings, and facilitate parent-teacher conferences
 Keep trying—Don’t give up!

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For School Administrators:
 Develop a team of experts who are well-informed on issues regarding the
educational and psychosocial needs of refugee children. This team could include
psychologists, trauma workers, counselors, community liaison workers, resource
teachers, school leaders, and other local organizations. Teachers often report feeling
‘overwhelmed’ and ‘unprepared’ to meet the needs of refugee students. Creating a team
of trained professionals with experience in refugee issues will thus support the wellbeing
of both refugee students as well as school staff.
 Establish a designated staff member in each school responsible for managing cases
of refugee students and providing support for refugee children and families. This
staff member would work with individual refugee students and families, while
coordinating with the broader support system including the refugee resettlement agency.
This staff member should receive supplemental training and materials on working with
refugee children.
 Consider offering courses outside of the normal school day or week to accommodate
students, parents, and caregivers who work. Older refugee students often need to work
to support their families, in addition to family obligations such as taking care of younger
siblings when their parents are working. Moreover, refugee parents are typically expected
to accept the first job offer they can find, often with difficult schedules and transportation
which inhibit their active participation in their children’s education. Weekend school
programs, intensive newcomer support classes, and other alternative education programs
should be supported and made as accessible as possible to refugee families.
 Provide psychosocial support to refugee students and families. While the acquisition
of language and academic skills is justifiably given top priority in most schools that work
with refugees, this should not come at the expense of ignoring the difficult issues
refugees face related to loss, trauma, separation from family members, violence exposure,
and gang awareness. Providing appropriate psychosocial support to refugee students,
including individual counseling and classroom-based programs implemented by qualified
individuals, will foster both the emotional well-being as well as the long term academic
success of refugee students.
 Support policies providing English as an Additional Language programs. Such
policies should account for factors such as the adequate financing as well as the
professional development of these programs.
 Develop monitoring and evaluation systems and keep statistical data on refugee
youth with the objective of creating evidence-based school interventions

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Perspectives from New Haven Educators
Several teachers and administrators in the New Haven Public School system who had previously
worked with refugee students and had connections to IRIS were contacted in July, 2012 to
complete a survey giving their perspectives on working with refugee children. These educators
identified the following problems commonly encountered by their refugee students:
 Lack of academic foundation due to interrupted education
 Difficulties adapting to “the way Americans do school”-- group learning, open-ended
questions, higher-order thinking, forming and defending an opinion
 Emotionally disturbed due to past traumas
 Difficulty understanding social norms (interacting with peers and adults)
 Learning written and academic English
 Parents are not familiar with the school environment and teachers are not familiar with
the home environment --home/school disconnect
 Lack of positive peer role models
 Disorganization (lost notebooks, homework, etc.)
 Few friends who speak the same language
 Lack of inclusion in mainstream classes
 Lack of understanding on the part of mainstream teachers, counselors, administrators
 The stress of taking CAPT when they are newly arrived
 Speech is far superior to reading and writing skills, which can be confusing to teachers
and other students, who expect comprehension and skills to be far superior to what they
actually are
 Difficulty fitting in socially because of the way the refugee students dress, smell (hygiene
can be a problem at first) and respond to other students
Teachers gave the following ideas and suggestions to improve the learning experience of
refugee children in their schools:3
 Continuing IRIS tutor program--perhaps tutors should also be assigned particular students
to check in with on a weekly basis (see their homework folders, help them with
organization of lockers, desks, etc)
 Training for teachers, counselors, and administrators by IRIS
 More electives, e.g. chorus, vocational education
3
Note the similarities between these suggestions and the ‘best practices’ described above

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 Regular communication with the Education Coordinator at IRIS to keep abreast of
student needs and progress and to organize the tutors is essential
 More opportunities to mix with American students who can be positive role models and
cultural brokers, e.g. an international club
 Lots of opportunities to get involved in the arts, including collaboration with the Visual
Literacy program at the Yale Center for British Art’s education department.
 A peer advocate program that would match refugee students with American students
(perhaps this could earn the American students some of the service credits required for
graduation)
 An elective for American students in which the refugee students would teach basic
communication skills in their language or tutor students in languages which are taught in
our high school (refugee students could earn service credits)
 Conflict resolution/role playing/peer mediation opportunities for upper
elementary/middle school to develop understanding of school norms
 In the past, it has been very helpful to have tutors working with students in the school
building during the day to give them the individual attention they need. When the refugee
students get this type of help, they are able to fill in the gaps in their education and
acclimate more quickly to the academic requirements of our school system.
To specifically improve the communication between schools and refugee families, teachers
gave the following ideas and suggestions:
 Opportunities for refugee families to meet regularly as a group with school counselors
and administrators
 Notices from school translated into several languages (not just Spanish)
“I would recommend a series of workshops at IRIS for parents about how our schools are
structured, how the PTO works, what the norms are for parents, teachers, and students, and how
they can support their children as scholars even though they are still learning English
themselves. Teachers or administrators could be invited to attend as well, and translation would
need to be available for some of the parents”
“When families attend Meet the Teacher and Parents’ Nights, in some cases accompanied by an
IRIS employee, they can attach a face to the teacher’s name. The ESL teachers at (my school)

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have always contacted families on behalf of other teachers when necessary, and this works
because the communication is centralized. Communication becomes confusing when there are
too many people involved as liaison. I recommend communication be organized by (one
delegated teacher) and IRIS’s Education Coordinator. (The delegated teacher) is responsible for
communicating with teachers and students and the education coordinator is responsible for
communicating with families, staff and volunteers at IRIS”
Educators were asked if they had had any particularly significant experience with a
refugee student, either encouraging or challenging (or both), which would provide insight
to other educators
“I felt that my experiences with one 5th grader from Burundi were especially illuminating this
year. She is a young lady with a particularly traumatic past and with many academic challenges.
At the beginning of the year, her short temper and hygiene issues were keeping her from being
accepted by the other students, and some teachers kept their distance as well.
As the year progressed, she was able to connect with our school community through music and
dance (especially thanks to the efforts of our music teacher) and took on a leadership role in
several performances. She began making friends, and many of the other girls learned African
dances and songs from her. Her “bad days”, though they still happened, became less frequent.
She also learned to calm her mind through drawing, and would often be able to pull herself out
of a bad memory by coloring. As the year went on, we began to build a bridge between drawing
and journaling. She became more confident in her writing abilities and started journaling or
writing letters to people when she was upset.
We should make sure that all of the IRIS kids are encouraged to participate in any and all arts
opportunities at their schools. Too often, the performing and visual arts are reserved for the
enrichment of academically successful students, when in fact the students who are struggling are
the ones who need them the most! Some schools do this inadvertently, and art, music, etc. end up
being scheduled during blocks of time when lower performing students receive ESL, reading
help, or other intervention services. I’m really happy that our school does not make this mistake,
and encourages all children to take part.”
“There have been so many, I can’t even begin to think of one! The one experience that comes to
mind is that of the sisters from Afghanistan. They joined the girls’ softball team this past spring
and it opened up a whole new world for them. They made lots of new friends, learned a new
sport, and became part of a team”

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“When a family comes to the U.S.A. and settles in an area where there are other families from
the same country, it is a great source of support in a strange new culture. Eight years ago I met a
family from Burundi. They had suffered horrendous stress but were a solid, well-adjusted
family. Unfortunately, there were no other families from Burundi in the area. The parents were
bewildered and confused by American culture. The children quickly picked up some of the most
negative and dangerous aspects of American youth culture. The parents lost control of their
children and even today have generally not made a positive adjustment. I do not know how this
could have been avoided, but it is definitely something to be aware of and to discuss openly and
honestly when families first arrive. Perhaps refugee families who have arrived a while ago and
who have successfully navigated these perilous waters could act as mentors”
This teacher’s experience reflects a common theme recognized by educators and researchers who
work with refugee students. Refugee students are particularly vulnerable to the potentially
negative influences of American culture. Reasons for this include the unfamiliarity refugee
parents typically have with American culture; parents’ long and irregular work hours leading to
their subsequent inability to adequately supervise and spend time with their children; lack of
more productive social, academic, and extracurricular opportunities for refugee youth; and the
reality that refugee families often end up living in higher-crime areas for economic reasons.

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Perspectives of Refugee Parents
Efforts were made to solicit feedback and suggestions from refugee parents based on their
experiences in the New Haven Public School System. A focus group of Swahili-speaking parents
yielded the following insights.
Problems identified by parents:
1. Difficulty doing homework.
o One mother said that her children can’t do their homework. The mother isn’t able
to help because she can’t read English. Some families discussed that older
siblings are able to help younger siblings with homework.
2. Difficulty reading and writing in English
o A mother said that even though kids quickly picked up conversational English
without problems, they could barely read and write
o Note: This seems to be a commonly identified problem that refugee students learn
spoken English much faster than ‘academic’ English, and that written skills take
much longer to develop than conversational skills.
3. Timed tests
o Several mothers said their children have complained to them that they don’t have
enough time to finish tests in school. They often know the answers to the
questions, but don’t have enough time on the tests
o The education system they’re used to from Africa is different
o They suggest that teachers should give students more time on tests
**It is important to note that BY LAW, ESL students in the state of Connecticut
are entitled to have extended time on tests.
4. Need tutors consistently to help kids until they are caught up.
o Tutors are needed not just with specific subjects, but also with general
academic/study skills (for example, test taking skills)
o Students are receiving help, but not enough to make a real difference
5. Problems communicating with school and with IRIS
o Parents sometimes don’t understand what is going on. IRIS sometimes doesn’t
fully explain things to them.
6. Financial Difficulties
o Mothers said that their children feel sad and embarrassed that they don’t have the
same things as other kids, such as school supplies.

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o One mother talked about how her son felt sad that he had to use an old, beaten up
back-back
o Mothers said that they wanted copies of the school photos their kids told them
about, but they didn’t realize how expensive the photos were, and didn’t
understand the ordering process
Communication between school and parents:
Parents recognized that communication is very important and had the following suggestions
1. Calling parents with updates periodically
2. Periodic Meetings with Parents:
o The mothers suggested holding regular meetings with parents to go over
important information and keep them updated.
o Mothers suggested approximately one meeting every 2 months would be good
o They also liked the idea of inviting teachers and school administrators to these
meetings; perhaps a different person or people each meeting
o The best time for meetings would be in the afternoon, after school
*When asked about the best way for the schools to communicate with them, the mothers said
that it is difficult to receive calls or notes from the school, due to communication problems. They
said that the best way for the school to communicate is to set up a personal meeting with
the parent, and for IRIS to help arrange transportation and a translator.

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Sources Consulted:
1. Demirdjian, Lala. 2012. Education, Refugees and Asylum Seekers: Education as a
Humanitarian Response. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group
2. Flaitz, Jeffra. 2006. Understanding Your Refugee and Immigrant Students: An
Educational, Cultural, and Linguistic Guide. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press
3. Hamilton, Richard and Dennis Moore (ed). 2004. Educational Interventions for Refugee
Children: Theoretical Perspectives and Implementing Best Practice. New York:
RoutledgeFalmer
4. Pipher, Mary. 2003. The Middle of Everywhere: Helping Refugees Enter the American
Community. New York: Harcourt Books
5. “Refugee Children in U.S. Schools: A Toolkit for Teachers and School Personnel”,
Bridging Refugee Youth & Children’s Services
( http://www.brycs.org/publications/schools-toolkit.cfm )
6. Rutter, Jill & Crispin Jones. 1998. Refugee Education: Mapping the Field. Staffordshire,
England: Trentham Books Limited
7. Sonnert, Gerhard and Gerald Holton (ed). 2010. Helping Young Refugees and Immigrants
Succeed: Public Policy, Aid, and Education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan
8. Stewart, Jan. 2011. Supporting Refugee Children. Toronto: University of Toronto Press