INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS' ADJUSTMENTS TO U.S. HIGH SCHOOLS AND HELPFUL SCHOOL SUPPORTS FOR THEIR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC NEEDS

The international student population continues to grow on U.S. high school campuses. According to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) data for the 2018 school year, 84,840 K-12 students were in the United States and 19.5% of them were enrolled in California schools (private and public). The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to identify the challenges faced by high school international students in the United States, in both their academic endeavors and their social-emotional adjustments. Results revealed that these students experience language barrier challenges, academic challenges, and social-emotional challenges. It was also revealed that these challenges are interconnected. 

International high school students are unique and come to our campuses with different academic goals and cultural backgrounds, but they also bring different perspectives that enrich the global awareness and cultural sensitivity of our local students, teachers, counselors, school leaders, and support providers. Their presence challenges school practitioners to develop and deliver support services to guarantee student success and create globally competitive school campuses.