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English learner program reports gains, Seal of Biliteracy growth and a state compliance review
Summary
Director Barbara Cohen reported access-testing results, Seal of Biliteracy achievements, staffing changes and a draft Department of Education compliance report that will require a corrective action plan.
Barbara Cohen, director of English language learners for Nantucket Public Schools, told the school committee on June 3 that 352 of the district's 389 English learners took ACCESS testing this year and that 47 students exited EL services during the year.
Cohen said that of 389 English learners districtwide, 374 are in active services, 130 are former English learners and 15 opted out of testing; 10 students took the alternate ACCESS for students with significant special needs. She broke results down by school: at the high school 86 students tested with 10 exits; CPS 56 tested with 10 exits; NIS 81 tested with 22 exits; and NES 129 tested with five exits. Cohen said level 3 (developing/intermediate) remains the largest proficiency cluster and that districts aim for students to exit services within about six years.
Cohen described growth in the Seal of Biliteracy program: 49 students took a world language assessment this year; 22 seniors earned the seal and will receive cords at graduation. Languages tested this year included Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Polish and Bulgarian; assessments and qualifying scores differed by test provider and language. She said some juniors also earned the seal and a handful of students had the opportunity to retest.
Cohen also reported the district received a draft Tiered Focus Monitoring report from the Massachusetts Department of Education and will present the draft to the administrative team; the district will address cited items in a corrective action plan next year. Staffing notes included two planned new ESL hires next year as two current teachers depart, and Cohen said the district will continue sheltered English immersion training and roll out a co-teaching pilot to keep EL students in general-education classrooms with language support.
Committee members asked about monitoring students who exit services; Cohen said students are monitored for four years via forms sent to teachers and that she had one recent example of a dually identified (EL and special-needs) student who received small-group support after exit following IEP discussions.
Cohen also noted a $7,800 grant used to send the ESL team to the MatSOL conference and that she hopes to expand language-testing options (she said she has identified a provider for Jamaican Patois).
