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2025-12
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Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) are a growing yet underserved population in U.S. schools. Many arrive with disrupted schooling, limited literacy, and experiences of trauma that create barriers to academic achievement and social integration. This thesis examines the dual needs of SLIFE, social and academic, through a review of current research to highlight both persistent challenges and effective practices for support. Working with a student identified as SLIFE during the previous academic year significantly deepened the understanding of the complexities involved in educating learners with interrupted formal schooling. Within the district and in the local BOCES network, no formal SLIFE program or established framework currently exists to guide educators in developing appropriate systems of support. In the absence of a structured model, effective practice emerged through the cultivation of a supportive, trusting, and affirming classroom environment in which the student’s voice and cultural identity were intentionally valued. This experience demonstrated that meaningful progress for SLIFE extends beyond academic interventions alone; it depends equally on creating conditions that address both their social-emotional development and academic growth. This study underscores the need for equity-driven practices that move beyond remediation to empowerment, recognizing SLIFE not as deficient learners but as resilient, capable individuals whose experiences enrich our classrooms and communities.