Belmont schools have become more multilingual over the years, with 435 students taking part in the English Language Education Program.
The program welcomes Belmont students in kindergarten through 12th grade, helping them become proficient in English. The program has been a success, with students leaving the Belmont program on average three to four years earlier than state goals.
According to a presentation by Lindsey Rinder, director of English Language Education in Belmont Public Schools, almost all students in Belmont’s program exit in an average of two to three years, compared to the statewide goal set by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) of six years.
Rinder delivered her presentation at the Nov. 26 School Committee meeting and said the top five languages spoken by students in Belmont’s English Language Education Program are Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian.
“Our goal is to provide early and intensive support so that students reach full grade-level proficiency in academic language as early as possible,” according to Rinder’s presentation.
Measuring Student Progress
This year, 85% of students in the program showed progress in English language acquisition via their scores on a standardized English language proficiency test called ACCESS.
The ACCESS test is untimed, allowing students unlimited time to work on each section.
“We are trying to tell the kids, ‘This isn’t a test you study for — this is a test that measures your English the way when you go to the doctor, the doctor measures your height,’” said Rinder.
In 2024, DESE changed its requirement for students to be able to exit the English Language Education Program; ACCESS scores are now the measure used to determine a student’s readiness to move on from the program.
This change correlated to a higher number of students leaving the program. From 2023 to 2024, the number of students in Belmont leaving the program jumped from 93 to 175.
Supporting Students
When students do not progress, their parents are notified in October, a meeting is held to review student data and gather teacher and parent feedback, and an English Learner Success Plan is developed.
The plan “includes student language goals, recommended supports, and additional progress monitoring,” stated Rinder’s presentation.
Of the students in the program, 84% are in their first three years of the program.
“We have seen higher-than-expected growth in grades five and above,” said Rinder.
The district saw the most growth in the level 1 and 2 groups in grades 10-12 this year.
“If that trend continues, there may be the need for additional FTEs [full-time equivalents] … We will have to wait and see,” stated the presentation.
Reviewing the Program
“While we are also celebrating this rapid English language acquisition, we are also seeing our students are still struggling in their content area learning,” said Rinder. “We’re seeing that through multiple data sources.”
The committee discussed the potential benefit of having curricula, especially in science, geared toward students in the English Language Education Program.
The English Language Education Program is also currently undergoing an audit by DESE, said Rinder.
From Sept. 2023 to May 2024, the program underwent a self-assessment. The program’s curriculum and student documentation were then submitted to DESE for review.
In March 2025, DESE will collect data about the program from parents and staff. These findings will inform an action plan for addressing any areas of improvement for the program moving forward.