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Case Study
Time to complete:
2:00
Supporting a diverse and growing multilingual learner population: How Horry County Schools transformed ML support with Ellevation
Case Study
Time to complete:
2:00
Supporting a diverse and growing multilingual learner population: How Horry County Schools transformed ML support with Ellevation
A growing multilingual learner population, but limited tools
Horry County Schools in South Carolina serves more than 5,000 multilingual learners representing over 70 languages. For years, teachers and administrators struggled to get a complete picture of each student’s language proficiency. Manual, paper-based systems slowed them down, creating barriers to timely, data-informed decisions about program placement and instructional support.
“This past year, we added Ellevation, and it has been a game-changer,” shares Melissa Westbury, Title III/ESOL Coordinator. “Teachers have the information they need at their fingertips, leading to a more effective identification process for students entering our program.”
Finally, all the data in one place
With Ellevation Platform, educators transitioned from fragmented, paper-based processes to a centralized, digital solution. Forms and Dashboards turned teacher input into actionable insights, with visual graphs and charts that made it easier to evaluate the effectiveness of program decisions.
With all of their ML data in one location, Horry County educators and administrators could make more confident and efficient decisions about program placement and reclassification. This consistency helped build a more collaborative approach to supporting multilingual learners across the district.
From forms to action: faster collaboration, stronger outcomes
Teachers began using Ellevation’s tracking features to quickly see where documentation was missing, while administrators could monitor thousands of ILAP forms at a glance.
Maryna Drozd Reid, Lead Teacher at Myrtle Beach Middle School, explains, “When I notice a number greater than zero in any tile, I immediately understand what documentation is missing. Ellevation empowers me to maintain a high standard of organization and accountability in supporting our multilingual learners.”
Measurable growth and meaningful change
By the 2024–2025 school year, Horry County educators saw clear results from their new approach:
- Student growth: Access to visual dashboards empowered ML teams to proactively monitor progress, contributing to a 57% increase in language proficiency among ML students.
- Faster collaboration: Real-time access to teacher feedback supported quicker instructional decisions, leading to a 10% student exit rate and a 33% reclassification rate.
- Program efficiency: With over 5,000 ILAP forms tracked visually in Ellevation, compliance and program monitoring became more efficient than ever.
These improvements gave teachers more time and clarity to focus on supporting student learning.
“Almost every day is an unexpected win.”
The impact of Ellevation has gone beyond efficiency—it has reshaped how educators in Horry County collaborate and support multilingual learners.
“Since transitioning to the Ellevation Platform, almost every day is an unexpected win,” reflects Westbury. “Between the capabilities of the platform and the unprecedented customer support, Ellevation is a premier solution.”