Multilingual Learners Program

Our District’s program for multilingual language learners provides English language instruction to students whose native language is not English, as well as additional supports for students and families. 

Teachers of ESL, Instructional Coaches, classroom/content area teachers, administrators and professional staff across the District’s school community are committed to the mission of supporting our English Learners in not only acquiring the English language, but also in continuing to advance their content area studies while learning the language.  We maintain a commitment to ensuring that our faculty receives specialized training and support in best practices to meet the varying needs of our English Learners, while they are developing their English language skills.

Two magnet schools host the District’s ESL program: Laura Donovan Elementary School (K-5), and Barkalow Middle School (6-8). Each magnet school environment provides a school-wide community that supports our MLL students’ pride in culture, home, and their own learning, in order to encourage continued student success and growth socially, emotionally, linguistically, and academically.

Our Teachers of English as a Second Language, in partnership with all faculty, provide our English Learners with highly personalized instruction, based on their individual language levels and academic experiences, in a language-rich, content-based learning environment.  As a result, our English Learners continue to participate in their courses of core instruction, while they grow their English language proficiency.  Instruction is aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, as well as the English Language Proficiency Standards developed by the WIDA Consortium.