Helping immigrant and refugee students succeed: It’s not just what happens in the classroom

November 13, 2009 This brief was written by Eileen Gale Kugler, Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, and Olga Acosta Price, PhD, Center for Health and Health Care in Schools. Poor student behavior is not uncommon in classrooms with immigrants and refugees and it often signals significant issues below the surface. A child who seems disinterested may actually be depressed, living with parents who themselves are disengaged and depressed as they struggle to adjust. A student with violent outbursts, who might just appear undisciplined, can be reliving the emotion of a turbulent event. These behaviors have a direct . . .