FCPS to expand English language program in middle, high schools

Sylvia Carignan, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·3 min read

All Frederick County Public Schools students who aren’t proficient in English will be able to learn the language at their home schools next academic year, instead of traveling to centralized locations, the school system staff said Wednesday.

FCPS is bringing its Multilingual Education program to the remaining middle and high schools in the county that do not have dedicated program staff.

Each of the county’s elementary schools already have the program, but some middle and high school students must travel to West Frederick Middle School or Frederick High School to participate and learn English.

The majority of students who will be affected by the change are in high school. Currently, 29 students are transported to Frederick High School for the program and seven are transported to West Frederick Middle School, FCPS Multilingual Education Supervisor Kaitlin Moore said in an interview with The Frederick News-Post.

Because the program’s expansion was funded under the school system’s fiscal year 2024 budget, it will not be affected by current discussions around the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget, according to Katherine A. Gull, director of curriculum instruction and innovation for FCPS.

“I’m hoping these programs are cost-effective and can be maintained going forward,” Board of Education member Jason Johnson said at the board’s Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting, held virtually Wednesday.

Four of the county’s middle schools and five high schools will be added to the program next academic year. Students in the program who currently attend those four middle schools — Middletown, New Market, Oakdale and Thurmont — participate in the full-day program at West Frederick Middle School.

Similarly, high school students in Multilingual Education at Brunswick, Catoctin, Linganore, Middletown and Oakdale travel to Frederick High School to participate.

Middle schools with the Multilingual Education program have between one and six dedicated teachers. Of the county’s high schools, Frederick and Governor Thomas Johnson have the most Multilingual Education teachers, with 11 at Frederick and eight at Governor Thomas Johnson, according to the schools’ staff directories.

The school system will draw from the existing staff pool for the program expansion, and does not expect to reduce the number of Multilingual Education teachers at Frederick High School or West Frederick Middle School, Moore said in an interview.

FCPS said the number of students in the county program increased 43% from 2016 to 2024.

In Frederick County, the number of people age 5 and older who speak a language other than English at home has increased by 40% from 2016 to 2022, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.

The number of people who speak a language other than English at home, and speak English less than “very well,” according to their Census responses, has grown about 6.8%, from 14,668 in 2016 to 15,666 in 2022.

“We’re always working to respond to the needs of our population as we continue to grow,” Moore said at the committee meeting.

The majority of students in the program — 82% — speak Spanish. Others speak French, Tamil, Portuguese, or a range of other languages, according to Moore’s presentation.

Students join the program after taking a test to gauge their English skills. If their parent or guardian accepts the county’s services, students are considered active in the program and must opt in each academic year. They are assessed on their ability to read, write, speak and listen to English.

Board of Education Member David Bass was supportive of expanding the program to all of the county’s middle and high schools.

“I’m really encouraged by that. It’s where we need to go,” he said at the committee meeting.

The Multilingual Education program is focused on students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade who aren’t proficient in English. The program was referred to as English Language Learning until last July, when it was changed in response to a recommendation from the state, according to Moore.