USD116 BOE Update: Oct. 29, 2024

Superintendent Dr. Ivory-Tatum discussed a new format to better tie the administrative reports and study topics to the Board’s priorities, goals and vision. This will also allow our community to be aware of our Board's priority areas and how the District is aligning its work to those areas.

Board of Education 2024-25 Goals

The Director of Multilingual Programs and Executive Director of Secondary Multilingual & Alternative Programs gave an update on the Multilingual Department.

Numbers

• 1013 English Learners across the District (this includes students with IEPs)
• 69 countries are represented in USD #116
• 51 languages are represented in USD #116

Newcomers this school year

• 53 elementary students (majority at Yankee Ridge and King)
• 15 UMS students
• 44 UHS students

View the full presentation

BPAC's mission is to encourage active parent involvement in their child's education, specifically those learning English as a second language. It aims to create a bridge between families and schools to ensure bilingual students receive the support they need to succeed both academically and socially.

• The French BPAC had its first meeting in September. The next meeting is in December.
• The Spanish BPAC has monthly meetings at various locations and has seen an increase in parental involvement.

Watch the BPAC presentation

Q: How are you communicating with families who are not on Facebook?

A: Families also receive paper copies of flyers and they are also put on Seesaw (a digital communication platform used at the elementary level).

There are two family liaisons at Yankee Ridge (one who speaks Spanish and one who speaks French), one at UMS and another at UHS. The family liaisons support students and families with various needs and connect them to other supports.

• Assist with registration and language support (numbers at Yankee Ridge Multilingual Elementary continue to grow. A majority of those are newcomers to the country.)
• Bridge communication between school and home
• Assist with attendance barriers
• Collaborate with local organizations to connect families with various resources (housing, food. etc)
• At the high school, the liaison is supporting unaccompanied minors and international students (registering the students, getting their physical/immunization records, making sure students have what they need for school.)
• This year, the high school has a dedicated family liaison

Watch the Family Liaisons speak about their roles

Strand 1: Program Structure

• Progress to date: Developed a Mission/Vision of the Multilingual Programs, provided staff with professional development and training.

Strand 2: Curriculum:

• Progress to date: New SLA curriculum in grades 6-12, new Spanish Social Studies textbooks in grades 6-12, new Spanish Science textbooks are being purchased, curriculum resources have been adopted to support SLA instruction in grades K-5.

Strand 3: Instruction

• Progress to date: Ongoing professional development from the Center for Teaching for Biliteracy, an increase in Multilingual learner sessions during Professional Development days, including more culturally responsive practices in the classroom and building procedures.

Strand 4: Assessment and Accountability

• Progress to date: Assessing students in both Spanish and English and analyzing student performance across both languages to see where they need more support.

Strand 5: Staff Quality & Professional Development

• Progress to date: Job embedded support from building and District leadership, Amplify and Center for Teaching for Biliteracy consultants.
  

Strand 6: Family and Community

• Progress to date: Hosting family events and community roundtables in neighborhood centers, hosting events that are culturally responsive of our families in the program
  

Strand 7: Support & Resources

• Progress to date: A District Multilingual Leadership Team has been formed with the goal of ongoing self-assessment of the programs and collaboration to continue the growth of programs across the District.

View the presentation

Dr. Ivory-Tatum's Superintendent Report: Oct. 29 Supt. Update

Highlights:

• UHS Career Days
• USD #116 Forty under 40 honorees