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District outlines multilingual strategy as ACCESS attainment remains low
Summary
Lynn Public Schools officials reported roughly 7,800 multilingual learners, described programmatic steps including SEI/dual-language expansion and vendor tools, and said recent ACCESS results show low attainment and mixed progress; several state grants were awarded to support newcomer and dual-licensure work.
District administrators presented data and a multi-pronged plan to support Lynn’s multilingual learners, focusing on assessment results, staffing, programming and recently awarded grants.
Laura Sanchez, Lynn’s executive director of Multilingual Education, told the committee the district has about 7,800 multilingual learners and that 2024 ACCESS testing showed roughly 9% of tested students attained the proficiency threshold required for exit (the district average scaled score referenced was about 2.79). Sanchez said 32% of students met DESE-set growth targets in 2024 — down from 34% the prior year — and stressed that many multilingual learners are assessed in English, which can depress early-year scores.
Sanchez described current programs (SEI, sheltered instruction, dual-language programs at Connery and Harrington), staffing levels (elementary and secondary ELD teachers, some positions currently filled by waivers), and partnerships with Salem State, BC Fellows and TNTP aimed at licensure support and instructional alignment. She said the district purchased Flashlight 360 for secondary-level speaking and writing support — citing earlier pilot results in other districts where Flashlight implementation produced notable gains — and plans to benchmark progress and expand use as appropriate.
Administrators also discussed grant funding: the district was awarded a Multilingual Newcomer/Homeless Support grant that will fund hotspots, transportation and academic supports, and reported a recent award of an English Learner Education Support grant to expand professional development and dual-licensure opportunities for teachers. Sanchez said the grants include funding to support SEI endorsements and licensure incentives so teachers can become dually certified.
Committee members asked about assessment choices (DIBELS, I-Ready), the availability of Spanish-language assessments, and how the DESE Targeted and Focused Monitoring (TFM) visit — scheduled for early 2025 — might influence corrective actions. Sanchez said DESE will review compliance points in February 2025 and that the district is preparing for that review with targeted interventions and additional staffing/training.
