Between 1975 and 1987, 140,000 Cambodians arrived in the United States; most have settled in California. This handbook for teachers and administrators who work with Khmer students and their parents begins with an overview of Cambodian history, and pays special attention to events since the Communist takeover in 1975. The second chapter,…

Asian Americans encounter barriers to mental health care, some of which are structural, whereas others may be cultural. Using data from a probability sample (N = 490) drawn from the largest Cambodian refugee community in the United States, the authors assessed the extent to which structural and cultural barriers were experienced. Surprisingly, a…

The "No Child Left Behind Act" establishes federal education policy for the United States, with a heavy focus on accountability through high-stakes testing. Provisions specific to English language learners (ELLs) include the mandate for their inclusion in state math tests, even for newcomer students enrolled for less than one year. Most…

This bilingual guide for Khmer-speaking parents presents parenting information to supplement a course in English as a Second Language. It focuses on topics parents must deal with in meeting the needs of their children. Vocabulary and practice drills are presented for activities in the following areas: (1) education and dealing with the school…

This booklet of individual handouts was prepared to assist Minneapolis mainstream school teachers to work with limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. Topics discussed include current research on how LEP students best learn in mainstream classes, social versus academic English, and adapting instructional procedures for and integrating LEP…

This report presents the results of two years (1988-1990) of the Success for All elementary school restructuring program in grades K-3 at the Francis Scott Key Elementary School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). The program was designed to ensure basic skills education for the majority Asian population of the school. The program uses innovative…

Three Southeast Asian teachers, one from Vietnam, one from Cambodia, and one from Thailand, develop curriculum materials for native language instruction for students in Project LOWELL, the Lowell (MA) Public Schools transitional program for limited English speaking Asian refugee children. Their duties and the importance of them are discussed. (PS)

In 1985-86, Project CLIMB was in its first year of funding at two high schools in the Bronx, New York. The program provided instructional and supportive services to 188 students of limited English proficiency (LEP) in grades 9-12. The students were recent immigrants from Cambodia and Vietnam, and all spoke their native language at home. The goal…

In 1984-85, the final year of a two-year funding cycle, Project CHASP (Cambodian and Hispanic Achievement for Students and Parents) at Theodore Roosevelt High School in the Bronx, New York, served 75 Hispanic and 71 Cambodian students in Grades 9 and 10. Instruction was provided in English as a second language (E.S.L.) and native language…

While it is important to improve the outcomes of bilingual and English-only reading instruction for English language learners at all grade levels, there is a particular need to see that students are successful in beginning to read in the early elementary grades. One program that has achieved a great deal of success in meeting this goal is called…

Teachers must be sensitive to the diverse cultures and the sometimes difficult personal experiences of Southeast Asian immigrant students. Varied conditions of arrival have a significant impact on their adaption to life in the United States. Earlier Vietnamese immigrants were more educated and Westernized compared to later Vietnamese, Cambodian,…

The report provides background information on the educational needs of disabled South East Asian students and presents four papers from a meeting and workshop on the topic held respectively in March and June of 1985. A draft of an action plan advocated by meeting participants addresses ways to meet five major needs: (1) to obtain information on…

Project BACIS, a multi-site program in its first year of funding, provided instructional, resource, and supportive assistance to approximately 270 students of limited English proficiency in three New York City high schools. The project, which served recent immigrants from Cambodia, Vietnam, and Haiti, had as its primary stated goal "the…

A study was done of the effects of the "Success for All" program on limited English proficient (LEP) elementary school students, principally Cambodian students in an inner-city Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) school. The program is a schoolwide restructuring focusing on prevention and early intervention in schools serving disadvantaged…

The myth of Asians as "the model minority" may hide the instructional needs of Asians and mislead policymakers. There is growing concern that Asians' low verbal scores are masked by their higher than average math scores and high school grade point averages. Principals and key staff at 12 (out of 20) schools identified as having…