Harrison County Schools outlines EL program priorities, training and resource plan

HARRISON COUNTY — The Harrison County Schools’ English Learner (EL) program evaluation committee on Thursday outlined a multi-part plan to improve support for students learning English, calling for expanded teacher training, shared resources and clearer processes for special-education referrals.

In a detailed presentation, the committee recommended adopting be GLAD training modules — a 20-hour asynchronous course with an optional in-person launch — as the district’s primary EL professional development. "We had 36 register for the course," the EL program presenter said. "Twenty-six attended the in-person launch yesterday at the county office." The presenter said of the 36 registrants, nine were high school teachers, eight middle-school teachers and 19 elementary teachers, and that participants must complete the course by March 27. The presenter said the training was covered through federal Titles II and III and tied to the district’s strategic plan.

The committee also proposed monthly collaboration times for EL teachers, a central OneDrive folder of shared lesson plans and resources, development or revision of a newcomer support program and expanded classroom-level EL support modeled on an LIEP (Language Instruction Educational Program) committee approach. Two EL teachers attended a newcomer conference in June 2025 and shared ideas at a December EL collaborative meeting, the presenter said.

The committee identified a need for clearer, documented pathways to graduation for newcomers or students with interrupted formal education, noting that no formal districtwide process currently exists and that individual schools and counselors determine student pathways. The presenter recommended exploring policy language and formal guidelines to address that gap.

On special-education issues, the committee emphasized stakeholder communication and training. The presenter said SAC (Student Assistance/Support) manual training was made mandatory for principals, and that some principals were unaware of EL-related procedures in the manual until the training session. The committee is developing a resource guide for families and schools to clarify assessment and referral processes.

Board members pressed on logistics and cost. When asked whether be GLAD training is for classroom teachers, EL teachers or both, the presenter said, "It's both," explaining EL teachers are intended to support classroom teachers after training. The presenter said the district had limited funding this year for the course and pulled funds from a caregiver account to add 11 educators from the waitlist.

The presenter described next steps: finish the OneDrive resource list, meet with the curriculum team and return recommendations to the EL committee for implementation planning. The committee also plans to consider establishing a standards-integration committee to help teachers apply strategies learned in training to daily instruction.

The presentation concluded with the committee asking for continued support from administrators and the board as it moves from training toward implementation. The presenter said many items are already in progress; some require additional funding or policy work to scale across the district.

The board did not take formal action on the recommendations at the meeting; the presentation served as an update and roadmap for staff work in the coming months.