In collaboration with the Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) staff, Loyola Marymount University, the planning of the Multilingual Learner Master Plan began in September 2019. During the fall of 2019, the Director of State and Federal Programs  worked with CEEL staff to develop, distribute and analyze parent and staff surveys. The review of English learner (EL) related policy documents and research also took place during this initial phase to inform the development process.  An EL Master Plan Advisory Committee consisting of educational partners from school sites, district office and the community was formed and met for the first time in January 2020. Classroom visitations were scheduled as a part of the needs assessment process; however this process was interrupted by the Pandemic.   Throughout the following two years the EL Master Plan Advisory Committee and several subcommittees provided input into the process. The Director of State and Federal programs and the  EL Master Plan Lead Writing team completed the plan with the assistance of the staff from the Center for Equity for English Learners.

In the spring of 2022, the decision was made to rename the plan.  Although English learners is the term used in federal policy, legislation, and court cases, we uphold the potential for multilingualism and use the term multilingual learners (MLs) throughout the document to acknowledge the assets our ELs bring and to leverage their multilingualism as a resource.

The primary purpose of the Desert Sands Unified School District Multilingual Learner Master Plan is to provide guidance related to the development, implementation, and evaluation of multilingual learner programs and services. The master plan also provides guidelines for the identification, assessment, placement and reclassification of English learners (ELs); notification and involvement of parents; the formation and functioning of the District English Learner Advisory Committee and site English Learner Advisory Committees; the annual evaluation of multilingual learner programs; and the use of state and federal resources for multilingual learner programs and services.

The overall goals of our plan include:

1. Create equitable, coherent, and sustainable systems of EL services
2. Develop equity-driven processes to build LEA-wide capacity to deliver research-based programs and practices that leverage EL students’ assets and address their specific needs
3. Establish effective family community engagement systems to foster collaborative partnerships
4. Implement an accountability model that ensures EL students’ success

The Desert Sands Unified School District's Multilingual Learner Master Plan is a result of collaboration and commitment to meeting and exceeding the needs of our multilingual learner students and their families.