Closing Achievement Gaps For Multilingual Learners
Emerging students classified as English Learners are being supported to own their academic goals and achieve beyond English proficiency.
At Manteca Unified School District, we recognize that the English Language Development program is central to the educational experience of many of our students. 19% of our student population is classified as English Learners, meaning these students speak a language other than English at home as their primary language.
As students build English proficiency while engaging with rigorous academic content, they navigate an especially complex learning experience. To ensure they can fully demonstrate their abilities and succeed across all subject areas, access to targeted support and high-quality instruction remains essential.
Coordinator of Multilingual Services Sandy del Mundo emphasized the importance of this work, sharing, “Our multilingual learners bring incredible strengths, including their languages and cultural assets, into the classroom. By investing in those strengths, Manteca Unified is creating learning environments where students can build confidence, achieve academic success, and thrive in a multilingual world.”
A districtwide focus on high-quality English Language Development instruction and inclusive teaching practices is helping ensure multilingual learners have access to the support they need. In recent years, MUSD implemented an updated ELD curriculum, providing a consistent foundation for instruction across schools. In addition, every school site maintains a strategic plan goal focused on multilingual learner success and their equitable access to rigorous grade-level learning.
Reclassification Ceremonies honor students who have achieved English proficiency. These events often include cultural performances that celebrate students’ identities and the diverse backgrounds they bring to our schools.
A key driver of this success is an emphasis on highly collaborative grade-level teams and Learning Walks. These strategies bring teams of educators together to share best practices, analyze student data, and refine instructional strategies that work across subject areas. Both campuses are seeing increased student engagement, which is contributing to higher achievement scores and higher reclassification rates into English proficiency.
At Manteca High, 75 students were reclassified this school year, a significant increase from 18 students last year. At Sierra High, multilingual learner reclassification rates have remained steady, while the school has seen notable growth in English Language Arts,
including a 7% increase in the “High” and “High Average” achievement bands.
Beyond the data, the impact of this work is deeply personal. Sierra High senior Solomon Hashimi was reclassified as English proficient this year after just two years in the district. He shared that the social aspect of learning English was one of the greatest challenges: “It is hard when you don’t know how to answer… when you have to repeat yourself.” As Solomon reflected, “My teachers were the
people who always listened to me and encouraged me to learn.”
Manteca High Principal Megan Peterson connected that supportive environment to academic success, explaining that “if you want to see jumps in student achievement, you have to have a plan that is based on data.” She added, “We’ve done a lot of hard work in terms of focusing on educational strategies that work for all kids in all classrooms,” emphasizing the school’s focus on effective teaching practices that help all students succeed.
Similarly, Steve Clark, principal of Sierra High School, emphasized the importance of both support and planning, stating that “closing the achievement gap means that you have people who care about all 1,750 students on our campus and have a plan for each student.”
By creating supportive classrooms, building strong relationships, and using effective strategies to meet
students’ needs, MUSD continues to promote educational success and opportunity for all students.