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District outlines 2024–27 plan for multilingual learners, cites staffing and Title III supports
Summary
The Toms River district presented its 2024–2027 three-year plan for multilingual learners, detailing ESL program types, staffing (19 ESL teachers for roughly 890 students), ACCESS exit criteria, program evaluation requirements, and Title III funding uses for in-year support and adult ESL.
District staff presented the required 2024–2027 three-year plan for multilingual learners and the accompanying bilingual waiver sent to the state.
"The goal of the three-year plan is really for districts to reflect on the population changes that they're seeing across the district with regards to multilingual learners," the presenter said, describing five core components: student identification and compliance, program description (the district currently uses ESL with sheltered instruction and high-intensity models), staff certification and training, curriculum and standards alignment, program evaluation, and exit procedures (ACCESS for ELLs cut score required for exit).
Staff said the district currently employs 19 ESL-certified teachers and was serving roughly 890 multilingual learners across magnet and neighborhood schools, with a roughly even split between elementary and secondary populations. The plan will align Title III funds and Title III immigrant funds to support programming, adult ESL, and targeted interventions during the school year; staff said a previously grant-funded teacher-certification cohort (12 teachers) was successful but is not funded in the current budget.
Board members asked about staff-to-student ratios and summer programming; staff said they would provide exact ratios later and confirmed Title III funds are being used for in-year supports and some summer offerings, though parental survey response limited summer enrollment in certain programs.
Next steps: the district will finalize the three-year plan submission, continue monitoring ACCESS and assessment data, and pursue NJDOE model-district application opportunities on the next cycle.
