ETHS reports large rise in emergent multilingual students; plans dual-language pathway and expands supports

Evanston Township High School’s director of Multilingual Services presented a data-driven account of rapid growth in emergent multilingual (EM) students and plans to expand native-language instruction, sheltered courses and a future dual‑language pathway at the Feb. 10 Board meeting.

Director of Multilingual Services (presentation) told the board the department — established in the 2023–24 school year — has contributed to a sharper identification process and an increase in documented EM enrollments. The presentation said EM enrollment has doubled over three years and that, for the second year in a row, EM students account for more than 10% of the district’s student body. The presentation listed more than 80 languages spoken across the district’s multilingual student population and 45 languages among students identified as emergent multilingual; Spanish is the largest language group, followed by Haitian Creole, French, Arabic and Swahili.

The presentation said the district has enrolled more newcomers this school year than in the previous four years combined, and that about 15% of EM students are newly arrived to the U.S. The district reported more than…