The number of students who speak English as a second language (ESOL) has grown more than twofold in the past ten years in Gwinnett County, Ga. The data for just two groups of students, for example, reveals that the Hispanic student population was 5.5 percent of the student body in the 1997-98 school year. In the 2007-08 school year, that number is 21.8 percent. The percentage of Asian students grew from 7.2 percent in 97-98 to 10.4 percent in 07-08.

What has also grown in the district is an understanding of how to use the media to help improve communication with the families of ESOL students. To overcome language barriers, "Gwinnett County uses the technologies that are familiar to many families, such as television and DVDs," says Sloan Roach, the district's executive director for Community and Media Relations.

The district takes a comprehensive approach:

• Gwinnett County's bilingual director of Media Relations maintains a relationship with foreign language news media and community groups, sending out press releases and story ideas, Roach explains. The current focus is on Hispanic and Korean media outlets.
• The bilingual director also hosts a radio show and interviews people of interest to parents and community members. The show gives listeners a chance to ask questions during a live call-in segment of the show. "This requires that we make connections with community groups," Roach says.
• The district has created a Welcome to High School DVD that is translated into five languages. The DVD includes an explanation of how the school day is structured, the high school grading policy, and so on. The DVD, which is available at Gwinnett County's International Newcomer Center, is customized for each high school, with photos of the principal and other staff.
• Educating parents is also part of Gwinnett County's approach. The district's school broadcast channel includes a popular show called English, Yes I can! There are three programs, designed to help parents of differing levels of English proficiency, improve their English. "If we give parents language skills, it's a definite plus," Roach states. "When cable goes out during the program, we receive many calls from parents: I missed my English lesson,they say. When can I take it again?"

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