A new student arrives from Switzerland, speaks French, and is enrolled in XYZ High School. The only languages spoken at the school are English and Spanish. What action should the school leader take to accommodate the needs of this student?

A new student arrives from Switzerland, speaks French, and is enrolled in XYZ High School. The only languages spoken at the school are English and Spanish. What action should the school leader take to accommodate the needs of this student?

• A. Meet with the student and their family to discuss their needs
• B. Require the student to learn English first
• C. Place the student in ESL and ignore family input
• D. Move the student to another school

Answer: (A)

Engaging the family and assessing needs together is the appropriate first step when a new student with limited English appears in a school. Sitting down with the student and their family opens a conversation about language background, prior schooling, academic strengths, and the family’s goals for education. From this discussion, the school can determine what supports are needed—such as ESL services, bilingual resources, or translation and interpretation for ongoing communication—and create a plan that fits the student’s situation. This collaborative approach respects the family’s input, helps establish clear channels for ongoing communication, and sets up a pathway for language development alongside academic progress. Requiring the student to learn English before any supports, placing them in ESL without family input, or moving them to another school all bypass the essential step of understanding and planning with the family, which can hinder the student’s adjustment and learning.

Engaging the family and assessing needs together is the appropriate first step when a new student with limited English appears in a school. Sitting down with the student and their family opens a conversation about language background, prior schooling, academic strengths, and the family’s goals for education. From this discussion, the school can determine what supports are needed—such as ESL services, bilingual resources, or translation and interpretation for ongoing communication—and create a plan that fits the student’s situation. This collaborative approach respects the family’s input, helps establish clear channels for ongoing communication, and sets up a pathway for language development alongside academic progress.

Requiring the student to learn English before any supports, placing them in ESL without family input, or moving them to another school all bypass the essential step of understanding and planning with the family, which can hinder the student’s adjustment and learning.