Program & Staffing

The ML Program was established to provide support services to students affected under the language provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act bans discrimination in employment, in education, in public places, and in voting. In the 1974 Lau versus Nichols case, the Supreme Court ruled that public schools have an obligation to provide specialized instruction to students whose limited English proficiency prevents them from full participation in the classroom. The Equal Opportunities Act of 1974 (Sections 1702 and 1703-f) ensures that, “No state shall deny equal educational opportunity to an individual on account of his or her race, color, sex or national origin. By failure of an educational agency to take appropriate action to overcome language barriers that impede equal participation by its students in its instructional program, it is, in fact, denying equal opportunity. The failure by an educational agency to take appropriate action to overcome language barriers that impede equal participation by its students in its instructional programs is denying equal opportunity.” This legislation requires “appropriate actions” to help limited-English proficient students. No intent to discriminate need be found to enforce the parameters of this Act nor does it matter whether or not the school district receives federal funds.

U.S. Department of Education: Information for LEP Parents & Guardians

The FNSBSD Multilingual Learner (ML) Program is funded through the school district’s regular budget and additional grants from the state and federal governments. 

Purpose Title III-A

1. To help ensure that English learners, including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency and develop high levels of academic achievement in English; 
2. Assist all English learners, including immigrant children and youth, to achieve at high levels in academic subjects so that all English learners can meet the same challenging State academic standards that all children are expected to meet;
3. Assist teachers (including preschool teachers), principals and other school leaders, State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools in establishing, implementing, and sustaining effective language instruction education programs designed to assist in teaching English learners, including immigrant children and youth; 
4. To assist teachers (including preschool teachers), principals and other school leaders, State ducational agencies, and local educational agencies to develop and enhance their capacity to provide effective instructional programs designed to prepare English learners, including immigrant children and youth, to enter all-English instructional settings; and
5. To promote parental, family, and community participation in language instruction educational programs for the parents, families, and communities of English learners. [Section 3102]

Title III-A: Required & Allowable Activities

ACCESS for ML/ELL testing, the federally mandated annual English Language Proficiency Assessment for English Learner students, will begin February 1st, 2025 and will continue through March 31, 2025.

ML/ELL staff at each school will coordinate with principals the specific dates and times for pulling students out for ACCESS testing at the school level. Grade 1-12 students will be scheduled to take the online ACCESS for ML/ELL, and Kindergarten ML/ELL students will be scheduled to take the paper-based ACCESS for ELLs test individually.

ACCESS for ML/ELL will assess the students’ English Language Proficiency in four domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. The results of this assessment will be available in June 2025. If you have questions regarding ACCESS for ML/ELL testing, please do not hesitate to contact the Multilingual Program Coordinator. You can also visit https://wida.wisc.edu/assess/access for more information.

Access for ML/ELL's Sample Items and Practice Tests

Note: You must be browsing in Google Chrome to access the above website. 

ACCESS for ML/ELLs Test Demos (tutorials)

At high schools with significant ML populations, ML Specialists collaborate with teachers to develop strategies for accommodating ML students in mainstream classrooms. They provide information on effective methods and materials for use with MLs. The ML Specialists also help determine appropriate scheduling and class placements for MLs.

ML Specialists:

• Collaborate with content area teachers at the high school level to integrate ML teaching strategies with the mainstream curriculum
• Teach credit-bearing English Second Language (ESL) courses when enrollment warrants
• Screen students for program eligibility
• Provide direct instruction to MLs using culturally and linguistically appropriate techniques and materials
• Facilitate communication between school and non-English speaking households
• Ensure equal educational opportunities for program students
• Help students resolve cross-cultural conflicts
• Coordinate services from Language Interpreters (LIs) and ML Tutor/Instructors

ML Tutors have extensive experience in schools and many are fluent in another language in addition to English. The tutor assists teachers in implementing modifications or accommodations in classroom lessons to meet the needs of ML students.

ML Tutors:

• Provide language instruction through content tutoring at the direction of the classroom teacher
• Screen students for program eligibility
• Collaborate with the ML student's educational team to develop a standards based Individual English Learner Plan
• Provide support to classroom teachers so that MLs may fully participate in regular classroom activities
• Facilitate communication between school and non-English speaking households
• Ensure equal educational opportunities for ML students

Language Interpreters (LIs) are recruited to provide interpretation for newly arrived students for a maximum of 4-6 hours per week. A Language Interpreter may have several assigned students. Students receive interpretation support for a maximum of four semesters. LIs for some languages are difficult to find. It may take a few weeks after the student’s arrival to identify a LI with the target language. 

LIs help ML students by:

• Providing essential vocabulary and concept interpretation related to the classroom curriculum as directed by the classroom teacher using both the student’s first language and English
• Serving as a communication link with the home at the direction of the classroom teacher
• Translating letters, forms, and notices