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District reports large year‑over‑year gains for English learner students after new programming
Summary
Director Joseph Moylan said changes this year — language studio in elementary grades, AVID‑aligned programs at middle schools, and sheltered classes at the high school — produced a marked increase in students exiting EL services, from 26 last year to 66 this year; district leaders described the growth as progress and said systems will be refined.
The Fond du Lac School District reported what administrators called “notable” gains this school year among students receiving English learner (EL) services following new programming at all grade levels.
Joseph Moylan, director of bilingual instruction, told the board the district implemented a multi‑tiered approach: a daily language‑studio program in elementary schools that preteaches background knowledge connected to core ELA lessons; AVID‑aligned instruction at the middle school level written for language learners; and sheltered (co‑taught or bilingual) high‑school courses supported by EL staff. Moylan said newcomer programming (for students in the U.S. six months or less) and classroom push‑in services also supported learning.
As a result, Moylan said the number of students who “exited” EL services after meeting assessment thresholds increased from 26 in the previous school year to 66 this year — an increase district staff described repeatedly during the presentation. Moylan emphasized that the district’s December testing captured only four months of the new elementary language‑studio instruction, and that next year’s assessments will reflect a full school year of work.
The presentation also included cohort growth figures for middle schools; Moylan said the district saw an average 0.65 point growth on the ACCESS instrument at the middle level and cited a 1.1 growth at one school (Tyson) for a single year cohort. Moylan said students who reach threshold scores exit the EL program and the district monitors them for two years thereafter.
Board members asked about the size and fluidity of the EL population; Moylan said the district receives students at many grade levels and that newcomer students particularly present concentrated needs when they arrive in late elementary or secondary grades. Moylan said the registrar’s move to his office will improve tracking of moves in and out of EL programming and that staff plan a common newcomer curriculum at the elementary level next year.
The board did not take formal action; members praised the staff and asked for continued reporting on outcomes and program expansion.
