As the ranks of English language learners swell in the United States, the number of students with interrupted formal education (SIFE) is on the rise. In 2004-05, New York City schools estimated that 10 percent of their English language learners were students with interrupted schooling. According to the New York State Department of Education, students with interrupted formal education come from homes in which a language other than English is spoken, have entered a U.S. school after 2nd grade, have had at least two fewer years of schooling than their peers, and function at least two years below grade level in reading and math. Pull-out programs, push-in programs, and after-school and Saturday programs can help this population of students improve their English language skills and fill in the gaps in their learning. Best practices for students with interrupted formal education include sheltered instruction, content ESL, bilingual instruction, and collaborative learning. Successful programs have committed teachers; are well planned; focus on meaningful, standards-based learning; educate the whole child; and have full administrative support.