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Woodland CCSD 50: ACCESS exit rates above state average; district sees middle‑school dropoff
Summary
District presenter said Woodland CCSD 50's ACCESS exit rate exceeded the state average, with most exits by grades 4–5 and a decline in proficiency at middle school; the district plans literacy and scheduling changes to boost English language development.
Woodland CCSD 50 reviewed 2024 ACCESS results for multilingual learners at its December meeting and described next steps to raise proficiency and expand supports.
A district presenter said the district has a higher share of multilingual learners (~32%) than the Illinois average (~14%) and reported that Woodland’s ACCESS exit rate past year (about 9.1% exit) was roughly double the state average. "A student leaves services once they reach a composite score of 4.8," the presenter said, noting that ACCESS measures social and academic language and is federally required under IDEA and ESSA.
Grade‑level detail showed most students exit by fourth or fifth grade and that proficiency percentages fall off in middle school (sixth through eighth grades). The presenter attributed part of middle‑school declines to increased assessment complexity and said the district is integrating English language development standards into the literacy committee and considering sheltered English classrooms in K–5 to nearly double ESL minutes in language arts.
The district also highlighted operational steps: using the Elevation platform for goals and data, meeting with grade‑level teams to build capacity for teachers across classrooms (not only ESL or dual‑language staff), and increasing staff with ESL endorsements (about 20 additional endorsements last year). The presenter listed top languages served in the district: Spanish, Urdu, Arabic, Tagalog and Tamil.
Board members asked whether non‑multilingual (native English) students are staying in dual‑language tracks and whether programs show mixed retention; the presenter said retention varied by grade and that data show English‑native students generally perform well academically and in Spanish."
