Multilingual Programming
Multilingual Programming
District 103 is committed to supporting the English language development of all students who are English learners to achieve English language proficiency, grow linguistically and socially, and meet the rigorous academic demands expected of all D103 students.
Program Philosophy
Lyons School District 103 values students’ diverse backgrounds and unique contributions to the learning community. To empower learners who are meeting the challenges of a new language and culture, District 103 supports English Learners (EL) as they develop social, cultural, and academic competence by creating a learning environment that:
- Expects students to meet high academic standards
- Facilitates effective communication in English through reading, writing, speaking, and listening
- Encourages risk-taking and inquiry
This way, Lyons School District 103 provides EL students with an optimal learning environment in every academic setting.
We serve families with more than 15 languages, the vast majority speaking Spanish, followed by Arabic, Serbian, Vietnamese, Polish, Cambodian, Czech, and Russian.
District 103’s Policy on English Learners
EL instruction in District 103 is governed by the Board of Education's policy on students who are English learners, which can be found in Section 6:160 of the District Policy Manual.
Student EL Identification
Illinois requires that any child registering in a public school district have a completed Home Language Survey (HLS) on file.
District 103 uses the HLS to identify and screen any student who speaks a language other than English or lives in a home where a language other than English is spoken.
It is essential that this is answered accurately to provide your child with the appropriate services. If your child speaks a language other than English (fluently) or another language is spoken in the home (regularly), please answer yes.
Continuum of EL Services
About 78 teachers across District 103's six schools have an ESL endorsement, and 24 teachers hold a bilingual endorsement, which shows the district's dedication to supporting its diverse student body population.
As part of its wide range of EL programs, District 103 offers the following continuum of services to English learners.
Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE)
Illinois public schools are required to offer Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) programs when there are 20 or more students who are English learners from the same language background in a school.
District 103's TBE programs are available to students in pre-K through 8th grade in Spanish.
District 103 provides two types of TBE programs:
Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE)
The Transitional Bilingual Program (TBE) is when there are 20 or more students of the same language group.The TBE program provides instruction in students’ home language while they are learning English. The amount of native language instruction is determined based on each individual student’s English language proficiency.
Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI)
The Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) is offered in all buildings. . Buildings that offer TPI have ELs of various backgrounds, but do not have greater than 19 students of the same language. EL students receive instruction through a co-teaching model.
All English Learners participate in an annual assessment, ACCESS for ELs, to measure their growth in English language proficiency.
What is BPAC?
The Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee’s (BPAC) primary objective is to establish a transparent, collaborative voice between the bilingual community of the EL Program and SD103.
Our meeting dates for the 2025-2026 school year are as follows:
- September 16, 2025
- November 4, 2025
- December 2, 2025
- February 3, 2026
After forming, the committee operates autonomously, including the election of officers and the establishment of internal rules and procedures.
Our Goals
BPAC's goals are to:
- Advocate for students in the bilingual and EL programs in District 103
- Help make decisions regarding the bilingual and EL programs in District 103
- Connect with other parents in District 103
- Support the academic achievement of English learners by attending workshops, conferences, and other events for bilingual parents.
¿Qué es BPAC?
El objetivo principal del Comité Asesor de Padres Bilingües (BPAC) es establecer una voz clara y colaborativa entre la comunidad bilingüe del Programa EL y de SD103. Nuestras fechas de reunión para el año escolar 2022-2023 son las siguientes:
16 de septiembre de 2025
4 de noviembre de 2025
2 de diciembre de 2025
3 de febrero de 2026