Wilmington Public Schools Awarded $11,814 Grant for World Language Program Enhancement

Wilmington Public Schools Awarded $11,814 Grant for World Language Program Enhancement

WILMINGTON, MA – March 13, 2025 – The Wilmington Public Schools World Languages Department is thrilled to announce it has been awarded an $11,814 Proficiency-based Outcomes in Languages Other than English grant from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This generous funding will support the continued development and enhancement of the district’s world language program for students.

This grant recognizes Wilmington Public Schools' commitment to providing high-quality language learning opportunities. Last year, the high school was able to use the Avant STAMP Language Proficiency Test to measure the levels of all Level 2 and Level 4 courses. This is the same assessment used to determine the Seal of Biliteracy eligibility. These assessments gave us invaluable insights into student growth in language proficiency, effectiveness of current curricula, and identifying students on track to earn the Seal of Biliteracy. 

The funds from this grant will be utilized to test all high school students currently enrolled in Levels 1 through 5, College Prep and Honors, in French, Italian, and Spanish. Additionally, we will be able to test heritage language learners in their home languages other than what is taught in our program. The grant will allow us to find the trends from students last year as well as identify areas of strength and potential growth. We will also be able to identify all students eligible for earning the State Seal of Biliteracy as well as the Language Opportunity Coalition’s Biliteracy Pathway Awards. These assessments can help us develop improvements that will directly benefit students by fostering greater language proficiency, increasing cultural understanding, and preparing them for success in a globalized world. 

Additionally, there will be a World Language Advisory Team set up with representative voices of various stakeholders in the World Language program to help guide our work and communicate openly with the community to gather important feedback for our department as well as the success of world language programming throughout the state. Click here to learn more and sign up between March 27 and April 4, 2025.

“We are incredibly grateful for this funding,” said Carlos-Luis Brown, World Languages Curriculum Team Leader, 6-12. “This grant will allow us to further enrich our program and provide our teachers and students with the tools and resources they need to excel in their language journey. We believe that proficiency in multiple languages is essential for success in the 21st century, and this grant brings us closer to that vision.”

The Wilmington Public Schools World Languages Department is dedicated to providing all students with engaging and effective language instruction and this grant will play a vital role in achieving that goal.