While the total student body population decreased, the number of those enrolled in Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95’s English Learner (EL) program has more than doubled between 2008 and 2016, according to the district.
In the 2007-2008 school year, 153 were enrolled in EL of the 6,477 total population, compared with 345 enrolled of the 5,666 population in 2015-2016.
“The diversity in our district has been increasing for several years,” said Stacie Noisey, director of curriculum for the district, in a presentation to the district Board of Education at its April 28 meeting.
Of the current school year’s total population, 381 students were identified as still developing English proficiency as measured by English language proficiency assessments, according to district documents. District officials noted parents can refuse EL services.
Noisey estimated about 20.6 percent of Lake Zurich students speak, or are exposed to, two or more languages at home per home language survey results.
Predominant non-English languages spoken in the district included Spanish, Polish and Russian, according to Noisey.
She said Bulgarian-speaking students have increased. The district estimated there are 50 languages spoken by Lake Zurich families district-wide.
English Learner programs are in effect at all grades in the district, but the bilingual Spanish program is only in place at Seth Paine and May Whitney elementary schools, according to Noisey.
At May Whitney, there were 73 students identified as having limited English proficiency (LEP), according to Noisey.
Seth Paine had the district’s largest proportion of EL students, representing 21 different languages.
“[Students who qualify for EL or bilingual services] receive support from an EL teacher and materials and assignments may be modified or adapted to meet their individualized language and learning needs,” Noisey said.
At Sarah Adams Elementary School, the number of Spanish-speaking students requiring EL services has decreased since 2010, and there is no longer a transitional bilingual education program in place, according to the district.
The middle schools had a fewer number of students identified as LEP, Noisey said, as they exited from EL services.
Over the past three years, Noisey said a new trend across the district is an increase of LEP-labeled students at Lake Zurich High School, with 25 students identified as LEP.
She said they are mostly new to the country within the last three years and not “long-term ELs,” which she said was unusual as high schools statewide typically have long-term ELs.
The district also shifted staff from elementary to high school to support an increase of EL population at Lake Zurich High School.
Recommended EL improvements for the 2016-2017 school year included developing a bilingual Polish program at Seth Paine and training two new additional bilingual teachers in literacy lesson/reading recovery.
More Top Picks Sample 504 Accommodations List For Adhd And Dyslexia
Seth Paine currently has 18 Polish students who qualify for EL services, excluding incoming kindergartners. The district posted a full-time Polish bilingual position for the 2016- 2017 school year.
Noisey said there has also been increasing parental participation districtwide.
There are four Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee meetings planned throughout the school year, and the end-of-the-year meeting for the district’s BPAC is scheduled for May 18.
Christine Won is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.