District officials say English-learner population, needs have grown; call for more staff and teacher training

At the Whitehall-Coplay School District's May 12 committee meeting, Secondary Director of Teaching, Learning and Technology Meghan Lloyd delivered a detailed update on the district's English-language learner (ESL/ESOL) program, saying enrollment and instructional needs have increased and describing state testing and monitoring requirements.

Lloyd told the board that ESL services have grown since 2014'—15 and reviewed how the district identifies and supports students. She said the district used a home-language survey to screen new enrollees, provides family interviews and gives a state language screener. "English language development is listening, speaking, reading, and writing," Lloyd said when describing the domains used by state assessments.

Why it matters: Lloyd told the board the district is in "TSI" (targeted support and improvement) for ESL, making professional learning and compliance with monitoring and testing requirements urgent. She said the WIDA assessment gives domain-specific scores that teachers can use to tailor instruction, and she recommended that general-education teachers be trained to read WIDA reports and make appropriate classroom accommodations.

Key details the district reported

- Lloyd said the district "serviced about 443 students" in 2014'—15 and described a steady increase in need over the last decade.

- Lloyd listed current per-school counts during her presentation: "At Stekel, we have 81 students. At Zephyr, we have 80. At the middle school, we have 145. And at the high school, we have 167." In the same discussion she also said, "currently, we have 87 students... receiving ESL services," reflecting multiple figures presented in different slides and remarks.

- Lloyd described the WIDA assessment (state-required) and said results typically arrive late spring; she recommended training so classroom teachers can use domain-level scores rather than relying only on an overall score.

- She emphasized that all content-area teachers must make accommodations and document them; ESL specialists collaborate with general-education and special-education staff, and students who exit ESL services remain monitored by the district for two years under state rules.

Discussion and concerns

Board members pressed on staffing and capacity. Lloyd flagged high caseloads at some buildings and called for district-wide alignment of resources and instructional strategies, noting that heavy ESL needs can influence MTSS and special-education identification if language needs are not accurately distinguished from academic needs. Lloyd said the department will prioritize:

- professional learning on reading WIDA reports and on ESL instructional strategies; - designing documentation processes so teachers consistently record accommodations and modifications; - streamlining K'—12 ESL programming and increasing co-teaching and coaching supports.

Board reaction and next steps

Board members acknowledged the scope of need and the constraints of current staffing. Lloyd presented specific next-year goals (training, documentation, program alignment) and said the district would work with principals and the teaching staff to implement them. No formal vote was taken on staffing changes during the meeting; Lloyd characterized the items as program goals and planned action steps to bring back to the board.

Speakers heard on this item included Meghan Lloyd, secondary director of teaching, learning and technology, and board members who questioned monitoring and staffing needs.

Ending: Lloyd told the board the department would focus next year on teacher training and clearer documentation to help teachers tailor instruction for English learners and to reduce the risk of misidentification in MTSS or special-education processes.