LEAP High School
DEMOGRAPHICS
As
of March 2005, International Academy-LEAP was serving approximately 500
students. Of these, nearly 65% were Asian, 25% East African, 10%
Latino, and less than 1% Caucasian. The vast majority of the Asian
students were Hmong students in country less than a year. The African
population included 59 Somali, 33 Oromo, and 18 Amharic students.
Demographics
at LEAP have changed as new groups have entered the school district. At
its inception in 1994, very few African students were in Saint Paul.
LEAP served about 80% Asian (predominately Hmong) and 20% Latino
students. The number of Asian students dropped noticeably during the
late 1990s, due to the closing of Thai refugee camps and repatriation.
At this time, East African increased noticeably. In 2001, LEAP students
were 30% Asian, 45% African, and 25% Latino.
With the closing
of the Wat Tham Krabok, the last Hmong refugee camp in Thailand, it is
expected that the percentage of Hmong served at LEAP will slowly
decrease over the next several years.
Coming soon
– current program description, graduation statistics, and information
regarding LEAP’s tutoring, volunteering, and teacher-education
components.
BACKGROUND / RESEARCH
"LEAP" builds on and expands a program started in 1994, "LEAP English Academy". The articles below provide background of our school including research, methodology, and program description.
Mainstreaming LEP Students: The Case of the Hmong.
MinneTESOL Journal, Vol. 11, 1993.
By Jeff Dufresne, Saint Paul Public Schools
Focusing on Hmong refugees in St. Paul, MN
schools, this article considers the difficulties faced by
recently-arrived refugee and immigrant students and their families,
including cultural-generational conflicts as well as academic
difficulties. In addition to reviewing important language research, the study presents new data. The author has compiled SRA test statistics for Hmong 10th-graders at a high school in St. Paul who fit into particular "time-in-country" categories. These statistics illustrate instructional and programming dilemmas faced by students and teachers at the secondary level. Implications
for programming include bilingual classes, "sheltered" content-area
classes, partnerships with outside organizations to offer instructional
and cultural support, vocational education, and classes in native
language literacy and culture.
Click on the Jurnal icon for full article.
LEAP English Academy – An Alternative High School for Newcomers to the United States.
MinneTESOL/WITESOL Journal, Vol. 14, 1997.
By Jeff Dufresne and Sandra Hall, Saint Paul Public Schools
LEAP English Academy
was started in the fall of 1994 as a school completely dedicated to LEP
newcomers aged 16 to 26, students whose needs often do not match the
offerings provided in traditional high schools. LEAP
provides ESL, and adaptive content classes while offering a high school
diploma as well as supported transition to the workplace and
post-secondary training. LEAP incorporates tutoring and structured interaction with American high school students and other volunteers. This article provides the background of, rationale for, and description of Saint Paul, Minnesota's LEAP English Academy, and explores the possibilities offered by this model.
Click on the LEAP English Academy icon for full article.
