Supporting Undocumented, Immigrant, and Refugee Students

Articles, Publications, and Reports

• Resource Guide: Supporting Undocumented Youth: A Guide for Success in Secondary and Postsecondary Settings, U.S. Department of Education (USDE), October 2015 - Provides information and resources for secondary and postsecondary educators, counselors, administrators, and other leaders regarding serving undocumented students, including legal guidelines, models, case students, federal financial aid and funding programs, etc.

• Immigrant and Refugee Children: A Guide for Educators and School Support Staff, Teaching Tolerance, Spring 2017 – Offers a summary of relevant federal laws and resources for schools and communities related to supporting undocumented youth and unaccompanied and refugee children.

• Stress Related to Immigration Status in Students: A Brief Guide for Schools, Marquette University – Provides an overview of detention, deportation, and other immigration status-related stress, and provides suggestions for educators and school leaders to support impacted students and families.

• Newcomer Tool Kit, USDE, September 2016 – This tool kit provides information and resources for educators and other professionals who work with immigrant students, including asylees and refugees, and their families to promote welcoming schools and classrooms.

• English Learner Tool Kit, USDE, 2015– Helps state and local education agencies (LEAs) assist English learners and fulfill obligations under federal civil rights laws.

• Serving and Supporting Immigrant Students: Information for Schools, Colorín Colorado

• Education (webpage), National Immigration Law Center (NILC) – Resource page that offers information and materials related to serving immigrants and undocumented students.

• Supporting Refugee Students, National Association of School Psychologists

Lesson Plans and Activities

• Perspectives for a Diverse America, Teaching Tolerance – Online K-12 anti-bias curriculum that includes "window" texts for immigrant students and "mirror" texts for students with no direct experience with immigration.

• Teaching Tolerance, Classroom Resources – Provides activities, exchanges, and lesson plans by topic, including immigration.

• Teaching Tolerance, Professional Development resources

• Honoring Home Languages (video)

• ELL Best Practices (digital collection)

• Teach Immigration, Share My Lesson (AFT) – Lessons and related resources to promote a thoughtful dialogue, creative teaching, and critical thinking to build a better understanding of immigrants and immigration.

• Immigrant/Refugee Awareness Instructional Materials (online clearinghouse), Bridging Refugee Youth & Children's Services (BRYCS) – Links for educational resources to build awareness and knowledge about refugee situations and for educators who serve immigrant and refugee youth.

Other Resources

Federal Resources

• Information on the Rights of Unaccompanied Children to Enroll in School and Participate Meaningfully and Equally in Educational Programs, U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, and Health & Human Services, November 17, 2015 – Fact sheet on the rights of unaccompanied children to enroll and participate meaningfully in education programs.
• Dear Colleague Letter – Plyer v. Doe, U.S. Departments of Justice and Education, May 8, 2014 – Describes obligations of states and school districts to ensure that all students – regardless of actual or perceived immigration status – are provided equal access to public K-12 education.

State Resources

• Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Basic Education Circulars (BECs)
• Educating Students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and English Language Learners (ELL), April 14, 2009 – Provides LEAs with information about legal requirements and mandates related to serving English learners.
• Enrollment of Students, January 22, 2009 – Provides guidance regarding public school enrollment procedures for resident and non-resident students, including undocumented and immigrant students.
• Foreign Students' Eligibility for Enrollment, August 23, 2010 – Provides guidance regarding a student's immigration status and enrollment in public schools, including federal law requirements (updated in response to the Supreme Court's decision in Plyer v. Doe).
• Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition
• Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC)