Secondary schools in the United States have been changing with the increased arrival of refugee students with interrupted formal education (SIFE), especially at the secondary schools. Refugee SIFE are faced with barriers developing both language and academic skills. This article describes some of the findings of an ethnographic research study that was conducted in an urban secondary newcomer program with SIFE in Northeast United States. The findings suggest that the refugee SIFE were in dire need of psychological support, had many responsibilities outside of school, and had high aspirations for the future despite their limited knowledge of the U.S. educational system.
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