Case Study | South Portland School Department
Building a North Star for Multilingual Learner Success: South Portland’s First ML Strategic Plan
Our Partner
South Portland School Department (SPSD) located in Maine serves ~2,900 students across eight schools. Nearly 24% are current or former multilingual learners (MLs), representing ~45 countries and 37+ languages making equitable ML programming a district priority.
The Challenge
SPSD sought to develop its first-ever ML Strategic Plan to ensure equitable access and outcomes for all MLs, including refugees, newcomers, and students with interrupted or limited formal education (SLIFE). To support this work, district leaders partnered with SupportEd to bring a structured, expert-driven approach to building a comprehensive and actionable strategic plan.
Key goals included:
- Establishing a clear, district-wide vision for ML programming • Aligning services, instruction, and policies with student needs
- Creating systems to better monitor progress and outcomes
- Ensuring equity across diverse ML populations
The Approach
SupportEd partnered closely with SPSD to design a strategic plan grounded in data, stakeholder input, and district priorities.
A. Comprehensive Needs Assessment
• Analysis of district documents and data such as demographic data, academic and language proficiency data, and district initiative and policies
• Classroom observations
• Stakeholder focus groups
B. Stakeholder Engagement
• Meetings with district leaders, educators, and community members
• Input on key priorities and feedback on proposed action steps
• Collaboration to ensure the plan reflected the school community’s values and vision
C. Ongoing Strategic Development
• Regular meetings with a core district team
• Refinement of goals and action steps
• Alignment with instructional priorities and long-term district vision
The Results
The ML Strategic Plan quickly became a driving force for meaningful change across the district. April Perkins, Director of Multilingual Programs states:
• The district made significant progress across three priority areas: curriculum & instruction, safety & support, and family engagement
• The plan became a powerful advocacy tool for district and school-level decision-making
• SPSD established clearer systems and priorities including:
○ Improved services for dually identified students
○ Clear service provision guidelines
○ Stronger progress monitoring for English language development
○ Integration of ML-focused strategies into district-wide professional learning
"The strategic plan continues to serve as a north star for us, orienting us back to the shared goals and vision of all who contributed to it. Thanks to that north star, administrators, teachers, students, and families have benefited from real, tangible changes to practice."April Perkins, Director of Multilingual Programs