Multilingual Learners

Fort Wayne Community Schools is now using the term Multilingual Learner (MLL) to reference students who are in the process of gaining English proficiency. Oftentimes, students know multiple languages prior to mastering English. Multilingual Learner emphasizes the positive assets students bring to the classroom, rather than focusing on a perceived language deficit. This shift reflects a growing understanding that students' home languages and language backgrounds are valuable assets in our community. With families speaking over 70 languages, FWCS also provides translation and interpreting services and continues to expand support for additional languages.

For more information, please contact the MLL department at 260-467-2105.

Multilingual Information Line at 260-467-2009

Identification of Multilingual Learners

See the Student & Family Support Services section for guidance on enrolling students in Fort Wayne Community Schools.

Classroom Support

Our MLL instructors follow two models when working with students in our buildings: co-teaching and sheltered instruction. These approaches allow English learners to access grade-level content while developing language skills in a supportive environment. Both models promote collaboration, inclusion and language development across subjects.

co-teaching

This is a collaborative teaching model where two or more educators, most often an MLL teacher and a content area teacher, work together in the same classroom to support MLL students. This approach integrates both language and academic content goals, ensuring MLLs have meaningful guidance to grade-level curriculum while also developing their English language skills.

sheltered instruction

Sheltered English Instruction is a teaching method that helps MLL students understand their school subjects while they are still learning English. In these classes, teachers use special strategies like using pictures, group activities and connecting new lessons to what students already know to make subjects like math, science and social studies easier to understand.

Students whose Home Language Surveys indicate that they speak or have in their background a language other than English are assessed with the WIDA Screener to determine their level of English proficiency.

Students at English proficiency levels 1.0-4.9 qualify for MLL services, which are provided in all FWCS schools.

WIDA Assessment

The WIDA assessment is a test used to measure how well students who are learning English, understand and use the English language.

It checks skills in four main areas:

Listening – understanding spoken English
Speaking – using English to talk
Reading – understanding written English
Writing – using English to write

New WIDA Exit Criteria in Indiana

Standard Exit Pathway

Students who achieve a 5.0 or higher on the WIDA assessment are automatically exited from English Learner (EL) status.

NEW: Additional Evidence Review for Scores 4.3–4.9

Indiana provides flexibility for students in grades 3 and above who score between 4.3 and 4.9 on the assessment.
These students are not automatically exited. Instead, they may be considered for exit through a portfolio review that assess where they are at in other areas and subjects in school.
The student's portfolio has to be reviewed to be determined whether to exit the student or maintain EL status.
If the committee recommends exit, the decision is sent to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) for final approval.

A teacher at a table of students doing MLL work

FWCS Home Language Survey

MLL Program Goal

Two girls posing for a picture on the playground

MLL PROGRAM FOCUS

We support and empower multilingual learners to become good at learning and good at life.

Two Burmese middle school students running in a XC meet

ENRICHING EVERY SCHOOL

4,600 MLL students (16% of students)
110 school-based MLL teachers
64 school-based MLL assistants
4 district MLL instructional coaches
7 full-time interpreters that are based in buildings across each one of our 52 schools

PERSONNEL AND FAMILIES TOGETHER

We have full-time and part-time interpreters for Spanish, Burmese, Chin and Karen languages as well as many as-needed interpreters for additional languages.