William Burn Elementary leaders told the ISD 191 Board of Education on Oct. 23 that a combination of targeted scheduling, co-teaching, and data-driven intervention has produced measurable progress for the school's multilingual learners.

Interim principal Kamala Niffenegger and multilingual (ML) teacher Brianna Benson detailed how the school protects core instructional time, embeds ML teachers across Tier 1 instruction, and triangulates WIDA ACCESS scores with MCAs and FastBridge screening to set individualized language goals. ‘‘So at William Burn, we have a comprehensive set of systems in place to ensure that our multilingual learners receive both access and support within the school day,’’ Niffenegger said.

Brianna Benson described multi-year gains and explained practices that staff say support those gains. ‘‘My name is Brianna Benson, and I am an EL or ML teacher at William Burn. I've been in the district for I think this is year 22 in that position,’’ Benson said. She summarized results for recent cohorts: of 32 fourth graders receiving EL services last year, 15 passed the ACCESS test and three more were ‘‘super close.’’ Benson added that many of the students who exited had been at William Burn since kindergarten or first grade.

The presentation included comparative data: William Burn reported that in 2023, 51% of its English learners met their WIDA growth targets and said the school saw a ‘‘beautiful jump’’ in 2024 and 2025. Presenters contrasted that with a stated state average of 28% and a district average of 29% in the same WIDA metric; the next-highest elementary school was cited at 52% in 2025.

Leaders described schoolwide strategies: collaborative planning in professional learning communities, co-teaching during Tier 1 blocks, alignment of ML materials to core curriculum (including elements of the science of reading), and the use of ‘‘catalyst approach’’ classroom strategies to reduce verbal clutter and increase comprehensible input. The school has added a dedicated ML interventionist position to provide small-group literacy instruction for ML students who need phonemic-awareness and phonics support.

Board members raised questions about longer-term outcomes and subgroup access. Director Ault asked whether the board could track students who exit EL services to see how they fare in middle and high school and whether early exit affects access to rigorous programs. Niffenegger said the school can follow those cohorts and that the building’s leadership is interested in long-term tracking. Director Anders asked what specific practices at William Burn could be shared districtwide; staff pointed to catalyst implementation and a school culture that treats ‘‘every staff member who interacts with kids [as] a language teacher.’’

The presenters emphasized limitations and context: research cited during the presentation noted that “it takes 4 to 7 years for students to become proficient in English,” and that the cohort of students who made gains included children whose early schooling was disrupted by COVID-19. Benson said that for students who began kindergarten in 2020–21, first grade was often the first year of a typical in-person education and that progress for that cohort was notable.

Board members asked about identification and programming for multilingual students in advanced or gifted programs; the presenters said multilingual students are represented in advanced programs but deferred detailed procedural answers to the building’s advanced-learning specialist. The presenters said they would follow up with more specifics on selection processes and representation.

School leaders said they would continue to monitor data through FastBridge and ACCESS and will use individual language goals and progress monitoring to refine instruction. The board did not take any action on this item; it was presented as an informational school report.