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Waterford outlines expanded support for multilingual learners as enrollment rises
Summary
District leaders described 170% growth in multilingual learners since 2016–17, rollout of individualized language plans, use of Language Line and TalkingPoints for family communications, and plans to expand bilingual programming where thresholds are met.
District officials and consultants told the Waterford Board of Education that multilingual learner (ML) enrollment has grown substantially and the district is expanding supports to meet those needs.
Principal Billy Shay and Learn consultants described district‑level systems put in place to identify and support ML students, including individualized language plans that focus on listening, speaking, reading and writing; monthly ML focus teams; and professional development for classroom teachers. Presenters cited about a 170% increase in ML students since the 2016–17 school year and said roughly 23 languages are spoken by students across the district, with the majority concentrated in elementary grades.
To improve family communication, the district has implemented Language Line (on‑demand phone interpretation covering more than 240 languages) and the TalkingPoints app to send classroom messages in families’ languages and receive replies in English. Officials said the tools support compliance with state requirements, including a 2024 ML Bill of Rights that calls for interpreter access for critical interactions.
Staff described bilingual/transitional programs that are required when a building has 20 students who share the same language, and noted Great Neck has such a designation for Spanish; Asachi (sic) and possibly Quaker Hill were discussed as next steps. Presenters explained state‑mandated exit criteria based on the ACCESS English‑proficiency assessment (students meeting level 4 or 5 are eligible to exit) and two‑year monitoring after exit.
Board members raised staffing questions; presenters said the district currently has three ML‑certified teachers and one ML tutor and is considering expansions as caseloads grow. Officials framed the work as data‑driven and focused on building teacher capacity to support content and language development across grades.
