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District expands EL supports: Imagine Learning, Spanish testing and extra groups
Summary
Administrators told the board the district is adding targeted English-learner supports, including extra small groups run by a staff member, an Imagine Learning partnership and access to an ESD Spanish testing site for better placement and assessment.
Administrators reported stepped-up supports for English learners. Lacy said Miss Hartstein is running extra small groups in addition to EL classes and that the district is partnering with the IESD on Imagine Learning, a program that lets students listen and speak English into a microphone to prepare for ELPA testing.
Lacy also said the ESD has a Spanish testing site that can deliver assessments in Spanish; the capability will help identify whether language or other learning issues explain low assessment scores. The board did not adopt new policy but noted this as a positive development for accelerating newcomer students.
Speakers stressed these supports are part of broader RTI efforts and that several recent arrivals who have been in the country less than three years are unlikely to pass English-based tests without time and targeted supports.
