Inglewood Unified presents revised English Learner master plan emphasizing dual‑language pathways and updated assessments

Miss Naali Chakon, Inglewood Unified School District’s director of English learner services, presented an updated English Learner Master Plan and stressed alignment with state guidance and research-based practices.

The plan, Chakon said, “provides clear direction for how our schools identify, serve, and support English learners” and has been revised to center on four core principles from the California English Learner Roadmap: responsiveness to student needs, rigorous instruction, systems of consistent support, and alignment across departments. Chakon noted updates to assessment processes and reclassification criteria, inclusion of a newcomer graduation pathway and state seal of biliteracy guidance, and a new chapter on preschool dual‑language learners.

Board members asked how the plan addresses groups they said felt left out. Dr. Carlos McGee asked whether there is a guideline for African‑American students who are not classified as English learners but whose outcomes require focused attention. Chakon replied that the district expects to present a separate plan addressing African‑American student achievement in late fall and that a committee is already working on it. “We expect in late fall we will be bringing to the board… a plan for African‑American student achievement,” she said.

Several board members urged expanding foreign language and dual immersion options across more sites. Mr. Ernesto Castillo and others said neighboring districts had programs that attract students away; Chakon said the district is exploring replication and will monitor fidelity closely, citing work to restructure the dual language program and use a monitoring process to ensure consistent implementation. Board member Joyce Randall and others pressed for clarity on which campuses offer which models and whether teachers in immersion classes are fluent Spanish speakers; Guzman and Chakon clarified that dual immersion teachers are Spanish‑speaking and that the daily foreign language program provides 45 minutes of Spanish instruction for all students at certain schools.

The presentation stressed family engagement as central to implementation; Chakon directed parents to DAC and ELAC meetings as venues for involvement and said compliance indicators aligned with Title 3 will be embedded in each chapter to track progress. The board asked for follow‑up details on how the single plan for student achievement and other site‑level documents will incorporate the plan’s provisions and for a clearer public timeline for proposed expansions.

Board President Margaret Turner Evans thanked the EL department for the work and asked that follow‑up materials be provided; Chakon said contact information and more details are on the district website and the presenter’s email would appear on the last slide. The board did not take an action on the plan at this meeting; it served as an informational update with commitments to return with further plans and a separate African‑American achievement plan in the fall.

The board will receive additional materials and timeline details in future meetings; parents were encouraged to participate in site DAC and ELAC meetings to influence program decisions.