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District 49 says elementary multilingual learners outpace state on English proficiency; high school lag noted
Summary
Deputy Superintendent Nancy Lamond introduced a progress update on services for multilingual learners in El Paso County Colorado School District 49 on April 23, saying the district is "growing, shaking, and moving" in serving students with diverse language needs.
Deputy Superintendent Nancy Lamond introduced a progress update on services for multilingual learners in El Paso County Colorado School District 49 on April 23, saying the district is "growing, shaking, and moving" in serving students with diverse language needs.
Grant Geiss, who leads the district—ulturally and linguistically diverse education (CLDE) department, told the board that 70% of the district—lementary multilingual learners are on track to English proficiency, compared with a 63% statewide elementary rate. He said 61% of CLDE students showed expected language-level growth on midyear TEL (Teaching English Learners) assessments. Geiss acknowledged the district—hallenge at the high-school level, reporting 18% of high-school multilingual learners were on track to proficiency versus 22% statewide; he added that if data from the GOAL school were excluded, the district high-school on-track rate would rise to 48%.
Geiss said the department emphasizes tiered supports in general-education classrooms because CLDE teachers reach students only part of the day. He described professional development (more than 25 sessions this year) focused on tier-1 strategies and a "7 steps to a language-rich classroom" approach, instructional coaching, and family engagement through community liaisons funded by Title III who do interpretation, home visits and family outreach.
Board members asked for clarification on TEL and on what a CLDE home visit includes. Geiss said TEL is a Pearson assessment that measures reading, writing, speaking and listening at beginning, middle and end of year; he said home visits focus on family hopes and goals, connecting families to school resources and community supports.
District officials said the CLDE department plans to expand newcomer supports, strengthen interventions for long-term multilingual learners (students in programs more than five years) and continue district coaching and family engagement to lift performance across reading, math and college-readiness measures.
The presentation was informational; no formal board action was taken at the work session.
