University City board approves multilingual learner evaluation; district to pilot City Connects support model

The University City Board of Education approved a multilingual learner program evaluation and recorded several other routine votes at its recent meeting, while staff described plans to pilot a school-based, wraparound support model funded by a private foundation.

Rebecca Soriano, coordinator of state and federal programs for the district, sought board approval of the multilingual learner program evaluation and outlined the program’s goals and measures. “Our primary goal in the multilingual learner Education Program is English language development,” Soriano said, adding that the program emphasizes academic language across content areas rather than conversational English alone. She told the board that students commonly remain in the program for several years — “as many as 6 years” — and that students must score a 4.7 on the yearly ACCESS assessment in speaking, listening, reading and writing to be considered functionally English proficient.

The evaluation…