Coordinator reports gains for English learners; district processed 667 potential ELs this year

Amy McKinney, coordinator of English Learner Services, presented the department’s annual update to the Pickerington Local School District Board of Education on July 13, saying the program both handled a large testing load and met state proficiency targets.

McKinney told the board the EL team processed 667 potential new English learners this school year and administered almost 5,000 EL-specific assessments. “It’s a very large feat to also pull off, as a small team,” she said, and asked the board to “please join me in congratulating our teaching team and students in their shared success.”

She said roughly 206 students acquired English-language proficiency in all four domains and exited the program this year; an additional 249 met state growth targets. McKinney also said the department monitors about 750 former EL students annually for four years after exit, as required by state law, to ensure they remain successful without language support.

McKinney described the program’s staffing plan for 2026–27: 28 teachers, six paraprofessionals, one instructional coach, two secretaries and seven family liaisons. She highlighted family-liaison work — more than 2,700 logged interactions and about 1,500 hours of one-on-one support — and the department’s train-the-trainer model that reduced outsourcing of interpreter and translator services.

Board members asked for clarification about how the 667 potential new ELs relate to the district’s total EL enrollment of about 1,000 students. McKinney said the district exited roughly 235 students last year and that many screened students did not ultimately qualify for ongoing services because they demonstrated sufficient proficiency on state screening tools. “Sometimes the kids actually had a lot of language proficiency and didn’t qualify to be served,” she said.

McKinney said most EL students are concentrated in kindergarten through sixth grade, with about 100 English learners in each high school. She described support that extends beyond academics — helping families access activities and services — and noted the three most common languages served this year were Nepali, Spanish and French (the department also serves Wolof among other languages).

The board praised the EL team’s work. McKinney, who is transitioning to lead the new Pickerington Kindergarten Center, said she was proud of the department’s progress and the staff’s commitment to student success.

The presentation preceded additional district business; no action was required on the EL update.