Glenview District highlights Pathways to Biliteracy and growth of Mongolian community

Speakers at a Glenview CCSD 34 board meeting on multilingual programs and Mongolian community engagement described a first-year Pathways to Biliteracy program for eighth graders and reported rapid growth in the district’s Mongolian-speaking population.

"We created a pathways program, and this year 92 students graduated and achieved this award that shows that they're on track, to earn the seal when they continue in high school," Sylvia Gorski Duarte, the district's family resource teacher, told the board.

Why it matters: District presenters said the Pathways to Biliteracy is intended to prepare students for the state's high-school Seal of Biliteracy, which appears on diplomas and transcripts. Board members heard program details, participation counts and community outreach that district staff and BPAC leaders say are already influencing enrollment and family engagement.

Program structure and participation: Sylvia Gorski Duarte summarized the Pathways timeline and requirements, saying families were recruited in the spring, students committed in November, and projects and assessments ran through April and May. She said the district used a three-part approach: meeting English requirements (grades, MAP testing, ACCESS scores or STAMP), demonstrating world-language proficiency (grades or a novice-high level; some students took STAMP or an apprenticeship test) and completing a district-level “commitment” that requires four hours of community service in the target language plus a project or essay.

Marcelo Yunda, a bilingual teacher, presented participation numbers and program mixes by site: "At IT, 55 students participated in the program, and 4 of 46 of them met the requirements for the award," and for the other school he reported 48 participated with 46 meeting requirements, noting both heritage-program and global-language participants. (Participation counts were reported by district presenters during the board presentation.)

Mongolian community growth and supports: Zaya Ghentimore, identified as a Mongolian community coordinator, and Yuli Jindangasuri, president of the Mongolian BPAC, described community organization and services. "More than 160 families speak Mongolian at home, ranking it as the second most spoken language," Ghentimore said, noting translations, hiring of Mongolian-speaking associates and an after-school Mongolian class.

BPAC and student voices: Parents and student leaders described the Mongolian BPAC, cultural events and a Mongolian Club at Springman. A student leader said the club’s goals include supporting newcomers, preserving language and sharing Mongolian culture with the wider school community.

Mental-health and partnerships: Presenters said the district partnered with the Family Service Center to provide culturally aware mental-health support during COVID and afterward, and described school-library visits and parent workshops run jointly with the Glenview Public Library and other local groups.

Looking ahead: Presenters said the district plans to boost participation among eighth-grade Spanish-heritage students next year, expand volunteer opportunities and consider adding at least two of the district’s most common languages to the program in 2026–27. "We are really excited and looking forward to see our program growing," Marcelo Yunda said.

Board reaction and next steps: Board members applauded the students and staff; several encouraged follow-up and asked presenters to return with updates on participation and outcomes. Presenters asked to track transfers or enrollment impacts as the program grows.

Ending: District staff and community leaders said they will continue outreach and professional development for staff and volunteers while tracking student completion and handoffs to high school for the Seal of Biliteracy pathway.