I have seen the national headlines. They tell a story of failure: immigrant student attendance rates are plummeting across the country, sinking amid a relentless surge of fear and enforcement. When children do not feel safe, they do not show up to school. It is that simple.
But here at Fugees Family, we refuse to accept that outcome.
We run schools where refugee and immigrant children not only attend but thrive. Where the attendance rate holds steady at 93 percent. Where two-thirds fewer behavioral incidents occur than for other English Learner programs in the district. And where the academic growth of these young people is nothing short of extraordinary.
Why do our students show up every single day, ready to work, when others across the country are staying home out of fear? Because we built a system that actively creates safety, rooted in trauma care and radical accountability. This is not magic, it is intentional design. This is the model all districts need to study if they are serious about solving the crisis in multilingual learner academic growth.
The crisis in student attendance rates
The correlation between immigration enforcement and school attendance is undeniable. In areas seeing heavy enforcement action, daily absences among immigrant students have spiked dramatically. We saw this in Charlotte, North Carolina, where an operation caused 30,000 students to be absent from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, roughly a 14% drop from regular attendance rates. That is one in five students missing school, effectively losing precious days of learning due to fear.
This absenteeism creates a de facto educational exclusion where fear and hostility converge to keep Hispanic children away from the classroom. The result is predictable: lower standardized test scores, fewer high school graduates, and a long-term toll on the social, economic, and intellectual well-being of the individual child.
We must recognize the problem clearly: When a child is worried about their family being torn apart, they cannot focus on algebra. We cannot ask children to succeed in conditions of profound instability.
The Fugees pillars of stability
We built something different. Our approach ensures students feel genuinely safe, truly seen, and deeply supported, so that deciding to come to school feels easier than staying home. We interrupt the cycle of fear by building institutional predictability and fierce, supportive relationships.
Trauma-informed, culturally responsive environments
Our high attendance rate is a direct reflection of our trauma-informed instruction immigrant students need. The entire school structure, from the Daily Greetings at the door to the House Huddle routine, is engineered to establish felt safety.
Every student is greeted individually at the door by the same adults each morning to reinforce belonging and trust. Our school culture relies on the Coach role, often filled by a refugee or immigrant themselves, who serves as a cultural and family liaison. Coaches conduct home visits, ensuring families understand expectations and receive wraparound support (housing, food, medical care). This proactive involvement assures families that the school is an ally, a safe harbor, not another institution to fear.
Academic rigor that drives multilingual learner academic growth
Some believe immigrant students cannot achieve high academic growth because of language barriers. We prove that lie false every single year.
Our belief is simple: We are serious about learning. It is going to take hard work, but we are with them and they can do it.
Our academic rigor, combined with trauma-informed practices, enables accelerated growth. In the 2022-2023 school year alone, Teranga Academy students achieved 290 percent of typical growth in math and 287 percent in reading on state benchmarks. In math, our median student percentile leaped from the 34th to the 51st percentile.
This multilingual learner academic growth happens because we refuse to water down the curriculum. Instead, we provide intensive language acquisition strategies and specialized teacher training to ensure students can access the rigorous content they deserve.
The power of community and high expectations
When we look at these numbers, the attendance, the behavior, the academic leaps, we are looking at the evidence of dignity restored. A student who arrives with no formal schooling, Mauwa, said it best: "This school makes me feel like if I try, I will be able to get better at something that is hard for me.”
That is the foundation of success. That is the conviction that drives us.
We invest deeply in our educators, recognizing that 94 percent of them report satisfaction with our Professional Development sessions. We know that to teach the most resilient students on the planet, we must equip educators with the highest level of expertise.
If schools prioritize making students feel truly safe, if they show empathy rooted in consistent boundaries, and if they hold high expectations matched with unwavering support, students will rise to meet them. They will choose school over fear. They will succeed.
Invest in proven strategies for student attendance
The current crisis in immigrant student attendance rates is a crisis of trust, but it is solvable. If we keep operating the way we always have, more students will be lost to the margins. We need to act.
We have a model that works. It delivers high attendance, profound academic gains, and 100 percent graduation into postsecondary programs of their choosing. This is how we build equity and strength in our communities.
Educators and Administrators: Stop losing students to fear. Invest in the expertise that builds true safety and belonging. Explore Fugees Family’s proven strategies for success.
Visit our Professional Development page to learn more about our workshops on trauma-informed practices and academic rigor today: https://fugeesfamily.org/professional-development/
Frequently asked questions
- Why is a sense of belonging critical for the attendance of English learners?
For many students, especially those from refugee or immigrant backgrounds, feeling like they have a "second family" at school is essential. When students feel seen as individuals with unique talents rather than just a number, they are more likely to connect with their peers and teachers, leading to higher engagement and better attendance.
- How does skill-level placement impact student engagement and attendance?
The traditional system often fails English learners by placing them in classes based on age rather than their actual proficiency. This can lead to frustration or disengagement. By grouping students based on skill level, schools ensure students are appropriately challenged, which builds the confidence needed to show up and succeed every day.
- What role do sports and the arts play in improving school attendance?
Integrating inclusive soccer, music, and art therapy provides students with vital therapeutic outlets and community-building opportunities. These activities make school a place of healing and joy, providing a strong incentive for students to remain active and present in the school community.
- How can school districts implement these attendance-boosting strategies?
Districts can partner with experts to redesign their educational experience through whole-school design and strategic planning. Professional development for educators is also key to ensuring that every staff member is equipped to support the unique needs of English learners.
- What are the long-term benefits of a safety-first approach to education?
When schools prioritize safety and individual support, the results are transformative. Beyond improved attendance, this model has led to 100% college acceptance for high school graduates and significant academic growth in both reading and math.
