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Approximately 1 in 10 students in U.S. public schools are classified as English learners or English language learners (students whose first language is not English) — and the number is rising. At the start of the pandemic, many experts worried this student demographic would fall behind, and the sentiment was not unfounded.

While the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report revealed that 8th-grade English learners improved in reading comprehension scores from 2019 to 2022, which could be explained by a number of reasons, both the 4th-grade and 12th-grade cohorts did worse. Roy Loewenstein, a spokesman for the DOE, indicated that the score increase for the 8th grade EL cohort is “notable,” but the rest of the report is a “stark reminder” of the pandemic’s impact on all students nationwide.

Here’s a look at the latest findings on English Learners’ proficiency gains and challenges — and strategies for better supporting their learning needs.

The start of a new school year is an exciting time that offers a fresh start for both educators and students. In those first few weeks when you’re getting to know the individuals in your classroom and establishing a routine, a key piece of that process is developing a picture of how well each student is understanding the concepts you’re teaching. Getting a clear picture of student learning at the beginning of and throughout the year can help to inform and personalize instruction to each student's specific needs. 

The new school year offers students and educators a fresh start, but not all students will be ready to jump into new concepts. Since learning flows from one year to the next, students who advance in grade level without mastering the previous grade’s core concepts can quickly fall behind. Summer learning loss can compound these learning gaps.

Summer vacation provides students with a much-needed break. Free from rigid schedules, homework and testing, they can relax and enjoy days with fewer responsibilities. 

K-12 educators are more likely to feel burnt out than workers in any other industry¹ — and the gap is widening. While summer is typically seen as a break from school, the reality is that most educators spend their summers retraining and planning for the year ahead, which leaves little time for recharging.

With teacher retention predicted to be one of the biggest challenges in K-12 in 2023,² here’s how you can recognize the warning signs of burnout and find ways to battle burnout to prepare for a successful new school year.

The final weeks of the school year can be hectic. You’re squeezing in the last instructional lessons and preparing students for exams at a time when they are easily distracted. It’s also likely you have a long list of administrative tasks on your plate.

Are my students on track to meet end-of-year goals? How will they perform on the summative assessment? Where do we need to focus our attention during instruction? Are there students who are ready for more challenging topics? These are all questions educators ask themselves on a regular basis, and schools and districts typically turn to interim assessments to provide the answers.

As a parent of three kiddos under 10, I know firsthand that kids are complex. To meet them where they are and support their development is a fluid process that must take into account their unique needs, goals, and personalities. In talking to teachers across the country, I hear the difficulty they face in personalizing instruction to support every learner. Not because of lack of effort and certainly not because they aren’t passionate about their roles in students' lives. It's in part due to the management of multiple technology platforms and systems-technology aimed at helping teachers, but often leading to more work. When multiple tech platforms don't talk to each other, that means teachers must track student results in different systems, reconcile them with each other and then, what they actually know about their students.