Superintendent Dr. Joseph and Melissa Kenny, supervisor of English language development, presented the district's multilingual learners strategy and data to the Board of Education on Oct. 23, 2025, describing enrollment trends, program goals and funding concerns.

Kenny said Prince George's County Public Schools serves 33,501 multilingual learners — about 26% of district enrollment — who speak more than 120 languages and come from over 116 countries. She said about 54% of multilingual learners were born in the United States and that Spanish is the most common home language, followed by French, Dari and Pashto.

Kenny summarized four strategic goals: increase academic achievement for multilingual learners, build staff capacity, reduce vacancies, and increase family and community engagement. She described a shift in district terminology from “ESOL/EL” to English Language Development (ELD) and “multilingual learner.” The district said ELD staffing vacancies are low (about 2.5%) and that the district has initiated a resident teacher program (now in its fourth cohort) to recruit and retain ELD teachers.

On performance, district data presented to the board showed that multilingual learners who exit the program (reach the state exit score) often outperform native English-speaking peers on MCAP ELA and many math measures. Kenny also noted a decline in the percentage of ML students meeting the state's individualized “growth-to-target” measure and flagged a challenge: the state growth-to-target model can make it difficult for long-term multilingual learners to demonstrate growth unless they exit the program.

Kenny and Dr. Joseph outlined a set of interventions the district has adopted or piloted: curriculum alignment to WIDA standards, Summit K12 for middle and high school English-language development, strengthened ELD teams in schools, family English literacy courses and a dedicated multilingual family engagement specialist. Officials said the district provides four family accounts per Summit K12 license to increase home access.

Kenny requested board support for state-level advocacy, including extending the period that exited multilingual learners count for accountability from two years to four years and re-evaluating the state growth-to-target model when Maryland adopts a new assessment. The presentation also flagged a Title III federal entitlement grant of about $4,000,000 that funds coaches, the data platform, supplemental programs, professional learning and family engagement; district staff said potential loss of Title III funding would significantly reduce those services.

Board members asked for more granular district-by-district enrollment data and for the district to share school-level family-engagement practices that are working. Chief Howe (Finance) confirmed the decline in ML enrollment directly reduces state and federal revenue tied to per-pupil counts and the Title III entitlement. Board members urged continued outreach to families, partnership with community nonprofits and a coordinated legislative advocacy effort to protect funding.

Kenny closed by asking the board to support continued investment and state advocacy for multilingual learners. The district said more detailed district-by-district enrollment and family-engagement reports will be provided on request.