WESTFIELD – The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Language Acquisition will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of the Westfield Public School District’s English learner education program the week of Dec. 1.
The Office of Language Acquisition reviews each district’s and charter school’s program every six years to monitor compliance with federal and state English learner education laws and regulations. Areas of review will include English learners’ student assessments, identification of English learners, what programs English learners are placed in, parent and community involvement, curriculum and instruction, student support services, licensure requirements for faculty, staff and administration, program plans, and evaluation and recordkeeping.
Christine Shea, director of assessment and accountability for Westfield Public Schools, said there are currently 409 English learners in the school district, 27 of whom opt out of ESL instruction, and 119 former EL students, who no longer require ESL instruction. Shea said these students are monitored for four years to ensure they’re succeeding academically.
The total percentage of students in Westfield whose first language is not English is 16.3 percent, which is lower than the state average of 27.2 percent.
Shea said for the review, the state was given the whole roster of English learners, and will randomly select students in the program, former English learners and students on IEPs who are English learners.
In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The district will send a survey to the parents of students whose records the review team examines. The survey focuses on key areas of their child’s English learner education program. Survey results will be reviewed and will contribute to the monitoring report.
The district will also be doing a full day of interviews with classroom teachers at all levels, English as a second language teachers, administrators and a parent focus group. Shea said the state also wants people to contact them if they haven’t been contacted and want to say something.
“They want to know how our program is working for our students, and do they have any suggestions,” she said.
Parents and other individuals may call Samantha Kodak, Office of Language Acquisition Review chairperson, at (781) 338-3584 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, DESE will make the necessary arrangements. “They do this every six years – it’s very in-depth,” Shea said.
Through the survey and the focus group, Shea said she hopes to learn if there are things that families are looking for that they are not doing. “It’s a learning experience for us. We always feel there are ways to improve,” she said.
Within approximately 60 business days of the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the Westfield Public School District with a report with information about areas in which the Westfield Public School District meets or exceeds regulatory requirements, and areas in which the district requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The report will be available to the public at https://www.doe.mass.edu/ele/cpr/.
