International High School is haven for students learning English

These high school students from at least 15 countries, are learning to be American high school students. After 2 years in this school, they go into the high schools in their neighborhoods. DP

Students there outperform those with limited English proficiency at other Austin high schools.

By Raven L. Hill, AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

statesman.com: Like many of his classmates at the International High School, Hamed Berenji had struggled for weeks with saying goodbye to the familiar as he adjusted to his new homeland.

Now, it was time for the 16-year-old to teach them how to say hello. In Farsi.

"Salaam," he wrote on the bright blue poster.

One by one, the other students joined him in sharing their native greetings: Chao. Kushe. Mingala ba. Bonjour.

Different paths brought each of the International High's 194 students to Austin. Some arrived seeking greater opportunity under fairly typical circumstances — a mother's new job or a father's desire to study at the University of Texas — but others came under more harrowing conditions. Those students barely escaped war-torn countries with their lives.

For many immigrant students, International High School is a haven. Housed at Johnston High School in East Austin, the three-year-old, open-enrollment school is one tool the Austin school district is using to help students overcome the hurdles of learning a new language, a new culture and coursework.

On state standardized tests, the students generally outperform those with limited English proficiency at other Austin schools. District officials are preparing a report on the progress of International High students, who can remain in the program for two years, after they return to neighborhood schools.
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