Multilingual Learner

Lake Washington School District’s Multilingual Learner (ML) program empowers ML students to both participate in classroom curriculum and attain English proficiency through language and academic support from highly-qualified ML teachers. The District provides varying levels of support based on students’ individual needs, language proficiency level, and grade level.

Eligibility for the ML program

All multilingual students registering in Washington state are screened by a certified ML teacher or trained proctor with an English proficiency assessment to determine if  multilingual learner services should be provided. The language proficiency assessment determines a student’s overall ability to communicate and understand English through speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Services and delivery models

All students who qualify for the ML program are served by ML-endorsed teachers, with the support of ML Instructional Assistants, in their home schools. Types of ML support and services vary by student need and grade level.

Exited ML support services

Once multilingual learners achieve the proficient level on the annual English language proficiency assessment, they are exited from ML services and will no longer receive English language instruction from the ML teacher. Exited ML students who perform below standard will continue to receive support from an Exited ML Facilitator for two consecutive years after exiting services to ensure their academic success.

The Exited ML Facilitator may support these students in a variety of ways. Some examples may include:

• Tutoring
• In-class support
• Before or after school programs
• Homework support
• Monitoring of grades and academic performance

Contact information

For more information about the ML program, contact the ML Office at mlprogram@lwsd.org or by phone at 425-936-1323