Cape holds MLL back-to-school night
Cape High welcomed its multilingual learners and their families for an MLL back-to-school night and awards ceremony Sept. 23, to recognize students’ growth within the MLL program and their steps toward English proficiency.
“Tonight is about celebrating and honoring our students, their multilingualism and the amazing feat that it is,” said Assistant Principal Jessica Hazzard. “Your multilingualism is valuable in this world [...] Please always celebrate that, always honor that, use all the languages that you have.”
Hazzard and the school’s multilingual program teachers recognized all of the students who demonstrated enough growth over the last year to move up at least one level on the 2025 ACCESS test, an annual assessment to measure MLL students’ English language acquisition.
Of the students who demonstrated growth, 11 reached proficiency, thus testing out of the MLL program. They each received a certificate and medal for their accomplishments.
The ACCESS test is broken into four parts, each one to two hours long, with listening, reading, speaking and writing components. It assesses students’ social English language abilities first, before evaluating their use of academic English to narrate, inform, explain and argue in the context of four core subjects: language arts, math, science and social studies.
“This is more than just being able to say, ‘Hello, how are you?’” Cape MLL teacher Deborah Giles said. “This is the ability to use advanced academic language in four different areas of study.”
Test scores range between 1 and 6. Per state criteria, students must score a 4.7 or higher to test out of the MLL program and be considered English-proficient.
At the ceremony to cheer the students on were Cape Principal Kristin DeGregory and District Director of Teaching and Learning Amanda Archambault.
Hazzard thanked the school’s multilingual faculty – bilingual social worker Lisa Williams, Giles and fellow teachers Carla Yngve, Kate Huff, Casey Cashdollar, Julie Boyd and Julia Seufert, plus long-term substitute Mary Jane Hoffman – for contributing to the students’ successes.
“They make me proud every day,” Hazzard said.
She also thanked the students’ families for supporting their kids and their achievements.
Ellen McIntyre is a reporter covering education and all things Dewey Beach. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State - Schreyer Honors College in May 2024, then completed an internship writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In 2023, she covered the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand as a freelancer for the Associated Press and saw her work published by outlets including The Washington Post and Fox Sports. Her variety of reporting experience covers crime and courts, investigations, politics and the arts. As a Hockessin, Delaware native, Ellen is happy to be back in her home state, though she enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures. She also loves live music, reading, hiking and spending time in nature.
