An Evaluation of the Transitional Language Center Program in the Saint Paul Public Schools: Final Report

Abstract

In anticipation of the arrival of approximately 1,000 Hmong newcomers from the Wat Tham Krabok refugee camp in Thailand, the Saint Paul Public School District in Minnesota, worked with the community to develop an education program that would specifically address the needs of these students. The resulting program, the Transitional Language Center (TLC), was established at five elementary schools during the 2004-2005 academic year as a temporary educational model for the newcomers. In spring 2005, the district contracted with the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement to conduct an evaluation that compared the TLC model with the Language Academy (LA) model already in use by the district.