Harrison County board hears English Learner program update and recommends continued 'Be GLAD' training

District staff presented an update on the English Learner (EL) program and recommended continuing the countywide 'Be GLAD' professional development used this year.

An administrator reported that 16 Harrison County students (described in the presentation as roughly 11%) scored proficient on the English Language Proficiency assessment this spring and that the number of students at the emergent proficiency level has decreased (the presenter cited figures as “13% or 18” in the presentation packet). Committee member Sarah Kisner and an English learner specialist, identified as Rachel Props, told the board that all 27 participants completed the intensive Be GLAD training and that nearly all participants would recommend it to colleagues. Staff described classroom-level improvements in engagement, grades and assessments tied to the training.

The EL committee recommended several next steps: continue Be GLAD training (with a proposed start in August and a longer programmatic timeline), expand coaching for staff who complete the modules, launch a OneDrive folder of ELL resources broken out by elementary, middle and high school, and continue monthly collaborative meetings. Staff also described plans to strengthen secondary pathways, review special education and language-acquisition processes with principals and counselors, and develop a guidebook for families navigating language acquisition and special-education pathways.

The board thanked retiring EL staff and praised the committee’s work ahead of the summer break. Administrators said the OneDrive resources and updated pathways would be ready for the 2026–27 school year.