Vocational School Turns English Learners Into Top Performers

Students who walked through Central America to reach safety, survived earthquakes in Haiti, and lost parents are now thriving in American classrooms.

At Southeastern Vocational Technical High School in Easton, Massachusetts, English learners are beating the odds. While immigrant students across the state struggle to pass standardized tests, Southeastern's students are improving faster than similar learners anywhere else in Massachusetts.

The school's current senior class tells the whole story. When these students arrived as freshmen, 33 needed English learning support. Today, only three still carry that classification.

Christine DeLuca coordinates the English learning program and teaches with relentless energy. "It is like, bell-to-bell, minute-to-minute, it's reading, writing—it is constant," she said. "I have really high expectations of my students."

The secret isn't just intensity. It's relevance.

Every student at Southeastern learns career skills alongside academics, from medical assisting to precision manufacturing to plumbing. DeLuca believes this hands-on focus helps students see their futures taking shape, which motivates them to master the academic vocabulary they need to succeed.

Many of her students arrive with what she calls "social fluency." They can navigate daily conversations, but they lack technical words like slope, y-axis, economy, and imperialism that appear on state exams.

Before Southeastern, many students didn't even try on these tests. "This is the first year I didn't fall asleep during the test," freshmen tell her.

DeLuca spends hours discussing goals and tracking growth with each student. She helps them connect passing exams to building the lives they want. For teenagers who've survived trauma, imagining a bright future can feel impossible.

Why This Inspires

DeLuca almost quit teaching before arriving at Southeastern in 2019. At her previous school, she taught in a basement room she had to share with a social worker while a band practiced outside. Some of her teacher friends in Providence still work out of closets.

At Southeastern, she has a full classroom with modern technology. The school serves nine communities, with most English learners coming from Brockton. When DeLuca started, only 15 students needed English support. Now the program serves 76 active learners plus 126 more the school continues monitoring after they test out.

The transformation changed her career. "I am a die-hard advocate now for vocational and technical education," she said.

Her former students stay in touch long after graduation. They send updates from college and their careers. "They're so successful," DeLuca said, her pride unmistakable.

Vocational schools have surged in popularity across Massachusetts, with thousands of students on waitlists. Southeastern admitted just 33% of applicants for this year's freshman class. The results prove that the right resources, high expectations, and purpose-driven learning can help immigrant students not just survive, but soar.