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Ludakaga Elementary tells board its dual‑language model is driving instructional coherence and growth
Summary
Ludakaga Elementary staff presented a site‑visit report showing a 50/50 Spanish–English dual‑language model, use of learning progressions and 'aggressive monitoring' classroom techniques, plus plans for student goal‑setting and summer professional development.
Ludakaga Elementary School staff gave the Othello School District board a detailed site‑visit update on the dual‑language program Monday, highlighting instructional coherence, assessment practices and plans for expanded professional development.
Mrs. Benjamin, Ludakaga’s principal, led the presentation describing the school’s 50/50 Spanish–English model (K–6), three instructional pillars — bilingualism and biliteracy, high academic achievement, and cross‑cultural competence — and a set of classroom practices intended to increase student engagement and measurable learning gains.
Instructional coaches and administrators described how the school uses learning progressions and “aggressive monitoring” — rapid in‑class checks and immediate feedback — so teachers can quickly identify and reteach skills where students are not meeting mastery. "We do aggressive monitoring to give feedback on student work in the moment so we don’t wait until the end of the week to learn who needs help," Assistant Principal Paul Hoursland told the board.
Presenters showed interactive examples teachers use to make learning goals visible to students and explained how PLCs calibrate exemplars and common assessments across grade bands. Staff said the work is intended to build student agency through goal setting and to make progress visible both to students and families.
On outcomes, instructional staff presented filtered statewide assessment trends to show growth at Ludakaga and across elementary schools; presenters cautioned the board these metrics are part of a multi‑year improvement effort and that the site is continuing to refine classroom displays and student tracking so the visual tools encourage growth rather than embarrassment.
The team also outlined summer and early‑fall professional development plans (multi‑day PDs, teacher team time, and training on exemplar planning) to scale practices across classrooms. Board members asked about the visibility of progress trackers in rooms and noted the district should guard against unintentionally stigmatizing students; presenters said many classrooms use student‑facing goal language and that dual‑language comparisons mean a student’s placement in one language might differ from the other, which staff said they monitor carefully.
The board thanked Ludakaga staff for the site visit and detailed briefing. No action was required; the presentation will inform next year’s district professional development and elementary assessment work.
