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Novi reviews English-language development changes: WIDA testing logistics, staffing shortfalls and new state service-minute guidance
Summary
District ELD leaders reported nearly 1,500 active English learners, described a modified WIDA testing approach that reduced classroom disruption, and flagged a state review that found staffing noncompliance; they also announced new Michigan guidance setting recommended weekly service minutes for ELs.
Novi Community School District officials on April 24 updated the board on English Language Development (ELD) services, reporting program size, recent testing logistics, state monitoring results and newly released Michigan Department of Education guidance on service minutes.
Director Spencer Riley said the district supports roughly 1,500 active English learners, plus about 760 former English learners who require monitoring after exiting services. Riley summarized staff counts—17 dedicated ELD teachers (spread across elementary, middle and high school levels), five community liaisons and administrative support from a TLD assistant—and highlighted an expanded family-engagement effort including international parent groups and new multilingual liaisons.
Riley described the district’s approach this year to the WIDA annual language-proficiency assessment. To reduce classroom disruption, the district used an emergency virtual day for non-EL students and brought English learners into school to take WIDA exams; Riley said that approach yielded a 93% participation rate and reduced the testing window from seven weeks to about two-to-three weeks. He told the board that the district completed more than 4,000 individual domain tests during the testing window, including 186 kindergarten assessments and roughly 1,190 listening and reading tests.
Riley said the district underwent an on-site review by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and Oakland County; staffing was listed as the only official “red” finding, which Riley and staff said reflected recent changes to MDE staffing requirements that lower caseloads and will require districts to increase ELD staffing. Other review items were listed as “in progress” and are being addressed with county and state support.
Riley also outlined new MDE guidance released March 25 that recommends service-minute targets: beginning students (WIDA levels 1.0–1.9) should receive about 60 minutes per day (approximately 300 minutes per week); students between levels 2.0 and 4.7 should receive about 30 minutes per day (around 150 minutes per week). The guidance also described two acceptable program models—designated (pull-out) ELD and integrated (push-in/co-teaching) ELD—and will affect programming decisions for next school year.
Board members asked about measures of student success and how the program supports district strategic goals. Riley said district metrics include timely acquisition of English and academic access to grade-level content; he emphasized both academic outcomes and social-emotional supports. Trustees also raised teacher supports; Riley said the ELD team is expanding EL-focused professional development, co-teaching planning and scaffolds tied to the new WISDOM curriculum.
Riley introduced four new community liaisons representing Korean, Portuguese/Brazilian, Japanese and Chinese families: Soyoung Kang, Patricia ("Patty") Tacaulka, Tomoko Takashima and Ying Tang. Each liaison briefly addressed the board about outreach and enrollment support for multilingual families.
Riley said state WIDA data will be available June 30 and the department will continue refining programming and staffing to meet MDE’s new expectations.
