West Virginia district will work to improve English Language Learner program

News release: The Mercer County (W. Va.) school district has agreed to take steps to improve its English Language Learner (ELL) program. The district has reached a three-year settlement agreement with the U.S. Justice Department that calls for Mercer County to dedicate funding, resources and time through toward teacher professional development, ELL-specific materials and translator and interpreter services. The agreement is the result of an extensive examination by the Justice Department of the district’s ELL program to see if it was meeting the requirements of the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974.