Multilingual Learner Education

MGSD's Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) is designed to support the needs of K-12 Multilingual learner (ML) students for whom English is not their first/home language. The goal is for these students to acquire the knowledge and language skills necessary to succeed in school and pursue their goals as part of the 21st-century global workforce. ML students represent many countries and speak many languages. They also come from varied educational backgrounds and experiences. Not all ML students are in need of English language services. For this reason, all students complete a Home Language Survey when they enroll in North Carolina schools. If a language other than English is listed, the student's information is sent to the ML program teacher at the appropriate school for evaluation and possible screening. Those students who are determined to be limited in their English proficiency will receive targeted instructional services to improve their English language communication skills in reading, speaking, listening, and writing, while also participating in regular classroom activities. ML students in grades K-3 also have the opportunity to enroll in MGSD's Dual Language Immersion program. Dual language programs have been found to be beneficial to multilingual learners, who may excel in the immersive classroom environment. 

Student Placement/Language Development

Federal and state policies require that all K-12 students identified as having a home language other than English through the Home Language Survey process upon initial enrollment be assessed for limited English language proficiency. North Carolina uses the WIDA Access Placement Test (W-APT) to identify and screen students to determine if they are in need of language services. Students identified as Multilingual Learners (ML) are provided with appropriate supports and are served by a teacher certified in English as a Second Language (ESL). Students are served in a pull-out or scheduled class, according to their grade level, and are grouped according to their English language proficiency levels. Placement in a level within the program is flexible and is re-evaluated annually or upon teacher request based on the progress of the student. Each spring, ML students take the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State (ACCESS) English Language Development (ELD) assessment which measures student proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. ML and classroom teachers share collective responsibility for their ML students' content learning and English language development. Instruction aligns with WIDA ELD Standards and North Carolina ELD Standard Course of Study with the goal of developing the language MLs need as they move toward college, career, and civic readiness.  For more details, explore the links below:

• WIDA
• NC Department of Public Instruction English Language Development
• US Department of Education English Learner Family Toolkit

Title III

Title III is a 100% federally funded supplemental grant program that focuses on delivering language instruction educational programs to students who have a primary language other than English. The program is designed to improve the education of limited English proficient (LEP) children and youths by helping them learn English and meet challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards. Title III also provides enhanced instructional opportunities for immigrant children and youths 

School districts receiving Title I funds are required to:

1. Provide a high-quality language instructional educational program (LIEP).
2. Provide professional development to teachers, administrators, and other school-based personnel who work with English learners.
3. Provide and implement other effective activities and strategies the enhance or supplement LIEPs, which must include parent, family, and community engagement activities and may include strategies that serve to coordinate and align related programs. 

Frequently Used Terms

• ACCESS (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners): Annual assessment used to measure progress in English in the four language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing for all students learning English.
• EL (English Learner): Students with limited English proficiency; a student in the process of acquiring English.
• ESL (English as a Second Language): A program of instruction designed to teach English to students with limited English proficiency. This term is no longer in use in North Carolina.
• HLS (Home Language Survey): A form on which parents/guardians report the language that a student first acquired or the language most frequently used at home. 
• ML (Multilingual Learner): Students who use other languages in addition to English.  
• W-APT/WIDA Screener (WIDA Access Placement Test): Tests administered to all initially enrolled students with a language other than English on the Home Language Survey.
• WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design Assessment): A consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners.