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Austin Public Schools outlines three-year plan to revise EL services after program review
Summary
District staff presented a six-recommendation review of English Learner (EL) programming, including a draft Austin-specific LIEP, changes to secondary EL scheduling to reduce overassignment, improved family outreach, and a planned three-year review cycle. Board members asked about parent engagement and implementation timelines.
District staff presented the findings of a recent English Learner (EL) program review and outlined a multi-year plan to change how multilingual learners are identified, scheduled and supported.
"We came away with six recommendations," an EL program lead told the board, saying staff formed an EL leadership team representing each building to prioritize work and draft an Austin-specific Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP). The presenter said the district revised its screening process this year as part of that work and processed about 330 new students who may need EL support.
The review found some secondary students were being "over served" with five to seven EL periods a day, which limited access to general-education courses. Staff said secondary scheduling will be revised to match students’ actual language needs while preserving access to required content. At the elementary level, the district said it will better align EL pull-out times with small-group instruction so interventions do not conflict with core reading and math rotations.
The district described additional actions to expand culturally and linguistically responsive practices in classrooms, provide ongoing professional development (a multi-year rotation of high-impact teaching strategies), and update parent communication materials to meet Minnesota Department of Education requirements. The presenter said a parent preview meeting about EL identification and exit procedures had about 30 families in attendance and the district will hold an annual parent meeting going forward.
Board members pressed for clarity on outreach and growth in parent participation. The presenter said success coaches will help spread information and recommended adding topics families ask about — grading, credits and adult EL opportunities — to future sessions.
On timing, the district said staff expect the work to follow a three-year improvement cycle, with regular evaluation and periodic revisions based on incoming student needs. The board did not take formal action on the recommendations at the meeting; staff said drafts of the LIEP and future implementation steps will return to the board for approval.
The board will next review draft LIEP materials at a future meeting before final adoption and will monitor progress through the stipulated multi-year timeline.
