Carmel Unified reports ELPAC gains; multilingual learners, reclassification and staff training highlighted
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Summary
Kara Gober, Carmel Unifieds English Learner Program Director and principal of Captain Cooper Elementary School, presented ELPAC outcomes, reclassification criteria and district supports for multilingual learners, reporting a current English learner count of 43 and a district reclassification rate of about 30%.
Kara Gober, the district English learner (EL) program director and principal of Captain Cooper Elementary School, updated the board on Carmel Unifieds multilingual learner supports, ELPAC outcomes and professional learning plans for staff.
Gober said the district identifies multilingual learners through the California home-language survey and the initial ELPAC. She reported the current identified English learner population at 43 students (one student reclassified since the slide was prepared); the group includes 16 newcomers (in the U.S. three years or less), approximately six long-term English learners (LTELs, six or more years as English learners), seven students "at risk" (five or more years as English learners) and 12 dually identified students who also have Individualized Education Programs.
On assessment outcomes, Gober said Carmel Unifieds reclassification rate is 30%, compared with roughly 15% for the state, and that 19 students were reclassified in the previous year. She explained district criteria for reclassification: a summative ELPAC score of 4 (proficient) in the district; teacher input; parent consultation; and assessment of basic skills. Gober noted the alternative ELPAC for eligible students with disabilities requires a score of 3 for reclassification under those rules.
Gober described district supports: designated and integrated English language development instruction; site-based English learner specialists (paraeducators and certificated staff); tutoring; family engagement efforts (ELACs, translated ParentSquare messages and site outreach); and a multi-session professional-development series for teachers focused on integrated and designated ELD. She said the districts first full-day designated- and integrated-ELD trainings continue this year and that staff will attend statewide conferences and coaching opportunities to build capacity.
Board members asked about declines in the identified EL headcount; Gober attributed changes to a mix of reclassification, demographic shifts, and household reporting on the home-language survey. She and board members also discussed monitoring and supports for LTELs and methods to expand family engagement. The item was presented for information only; no action was required.
