Baltimore City Public Schools reports 14.7% multilingual learner enrollment, expands PLCs and dual‑language pathways

Maria Remor, director of Multilingual Learners for Baltimore City Public Schools, told the Teaching and Learning Committee on Feb. 4 that multilingual learners now represent 14.7% of district enrollment, a 9% increase over the prior year, and that the district is investing in staffing, professional learning and program access to meet their needs.

"Our multilingual learner enrollment is up to 14.7%, as Jalima shared at the beginning of our presentation, which is a 9% increase over last school year and has that outpaces the district's overall 1% increase," Remor said, summarizing district growth and geographic distribution.

Why it matters: Remor said multilingual learners (MLs) speak 76 languages and attend nearly all district schools — 87% of buildings have at least one ML — with 11 schools serving more than half of their student population as MLs (those 11 account for about 40% of ML enrollment). Four schools (William Packer, Morrell Park, National Academy Foundation and Curtis Bay) saw at least a 20 percentage‑point increase in ML share over five years.

Staffing and program highlights: The office reported a substantial reduction in English language development (ELD) teacher vacancies after a partnership with the Human Capital Office: vacancies fell from more than 77 last year to six after recent hiring. Remor described expansion of high‑impact professional learning communities (PLCs) for schools where 30% or more of students receive ELD instruction (17 schools this year), growth in dual‑language programming at Lakeland and John Rura, and plans to open a districtwide PLC for ELD representatives in all schools.

Assessment and attendance: Remor said ACCESS for ELLs (the English‑language proficiency assessment) showed elementary students more likely to meet individual growth targets than older students, and that overall ML attendance improved from 85.6% to 87% year‑over‑year, with persistent lower rates in high school grades.

Seal of Biliteracy and outreach: The office is developing a proposal to expand access to assessments that qualify students for the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy beyond AP and IB pathways, to allow multilingual learners proficient in their home language to earn formal recognition. Remor also noted Baltimore will host the Council of Great City Schools’ Bilingual Immigrant and Refugee Education Meeting in May 2025.

Questions and follow up: Commissioners asked for counts of dual‑language participants in strand programs (Remor said each participating grade currently has one homeroom per program and that exact participation numbers would be provided) and for guidance on obstacles to scaling dual‑language programs (expertise, teacher supply and start‑up cost were cited). The office committed to share participation counts and to host guided visits for commissioners.

No formal decisions were taken. The Multilingual Learners office said it will provide requested participation and funding‑source data.