Teaching & Learning

English Learners

Learn more about students whose first language is not English, also referred to as students learning English as a second language

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Illustrations of "Hello" in multiple languages, blue color.
Webinars on English Learners
Browse and register for free professional development on students learning English as a second language, dual-language instruction, and bilingual education.
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Featured Special Reports

Special Report How Educators Are Boosting Outcomes for English Learners Amid Challenges
Explore how schools and states are trying to support English learners with programs, literacy strategies, and teacher training.
September 22, 2025
Diana Oviedo-Holguin teaches a first grade English learner class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025.
Diana Oviedo-Holguin teaches a first grade English learner class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025.
Noah Devereaux for Education Week
Special Report Enseñar a los Estudiantes de Inglés Como Segundo Idioma
¿Qué tan buenos son los servicios que las escuelas les prestan a los estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma?
May 11, 2016
Ke’mari Barnes (izquierda) y Yesenia Gomez trabajan en conjunto con tarjetas de rompecabezas durante una clase del pre-kinder en la Academia de Dos Idiomas en Tulsa, Oklahoma. La mitad de los estudiantes de la escuela son estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma y representan un gran cambio demográfico en los últimos años en el distrito escolar.
Ke’mari Barnes (izquierda) y Yesenia Gomez trabajan en conjunto con tarjetas de rompecabezas durante una clase del pre-kinder en la Academia de Dos Idiomas en Tulsa, Oklahoma. La mitad de los estudiantes de la escuela son estudiantes de inglés como segundo idioma y representan un gran cambio demográfico en los últimos años en el distrito escolar.
Shane Bevel para Education Week
Special Report Teaching America's English-Language Learners
Articles in this special report explore the efforts states and school districts are making to effectively teach English-language learners. También disponible en español.
May 11, 2016
Pre-K student Kailyn Walker reaches for a book in her classroom at the Dual Language Academy in Tulsa, Okla., where 50 percent of children are English-learners and students are taught in English and Spanish.
Pre-K student Kailyn Walker reaches for a book in her classroom at the Dual Language Academy in Tulsa, Okla., where 50 percent of children are English-learners and students are taught in English and Spanish.
Shane Bevel for Education Week

  • The Latest

    English Language Learning Program coordinator Dina Saunders, collects worksheets while helping in Katie Pringnitz's 6th grade Language Arts classroom on Aug. 24, 2016 at Mount Pleasant Middle School in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The Mount Pleasant school district has Spanish, Vietnamese, Lao, Chinese, English and Indigenous languages from Central America and Vietnam speaking students.
    English Language Learning Program Coordinator Dina Saunders collects worksheets while helping in Katie Pringnitz's 6th grade language arts classroom on Aug. 24, 2016 at Mount Pleasant Middle School in Iowa. For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, English learners’ average English-language proficiency test scores did not decline. <ins data-user-label="Daniela Franco Brown" data-time="06/30/2026 2:24:34 PM" data-user-id="00000185-9ccd-d5c5-a98d-decdaf220001" data-target-id="">Instead, they held steady or increased in most grades</ins>.
    John Lovretta/The Hawk Eye via AP
    English Learners English Learners Show Growth Gains, Still Below Pre-Pandemic
    A new WIDA report found signs of English-learner growth in language proficiency on a rebound.
    Ileana Najarro, June 30, 2026
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    3 min read
    Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
    Sonia Pulido for Education Week
    English Learners Opinion Immigrant Student Enrollment Is Falling. How Should Schools Respond?
    Enrollment patterns may change, but schools still need to take care of their English learners.
    Larry Ferlazzo, June 3, 2026
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    6 min read
    ANNANDALE, VA - APRIL 08: English learners are taught the subject, algebra one with ESOL teacher , Anna Kyle, (right)shown here with tenth grader Thinh Vuong Phung and Student teacher Kim Ngo (left) at Annandale High School on April 08, 2026 in Annandale, Virginia. Various approaches include group work, community building, and academic literacy. Materials are created collaboratively, including digital activities (e.g. Kahoot) with writing and speaking assessments. The team tracks progress using standards-based grading and a running spreadsheet. Teachers emphasize vocabulary skills, interactive notebooks, and scaffolds to support language learners. The success of multilingual learners is monitored through test data and reassessments, ensuring students understand their mastery of standards. 
    English learners are taught Algebra I by an ESOL teacher at Annandale High School on April 8, 2026 in Annandale, Virginia. English learners in middle and high school are at different places in their language development, which can undermine their confidence and engagement in the subject.
    Marvin Joseph for Education Week
    English Learners Making the "Puzzles" of Math Lessons Less Confusing for English Learners
    Modeling, pre-teaching, and effective use of visuals can help students, speakers at an EdWeek forum said.
    Jennifer Vilcarino, May 26, 2026
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    4 min read
    A look at the state of teaching with English learner students in Antioch, Tenn.
    A five-year-old English learner works on a rug with other kindergarten students as they talk about the seasons at an elementary school in Antioch, Tenn., on Dec. 3, 2025. A new study found students are more likely to exit out of English-learner status if states partially automate the reclassification process.
    William DeShazer for Education Week
    English Learners This Simple Procedural Change Can Improve Outcomes for English Learners
    A Michigan study found more students exiting out of English-learner status with one policy change.
    Ileana Najarro, May 13, 2026
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    3 min read
    Photo collage of a young English learner student working at his desk. His photo is inside a circle and on a blue background. The blue background is split if 4 quadrants with a subtle brick wall texture. Inside the 4 quadrants are silhouettes of a woman writing on a clipboard, a parent holding the hand of a young girl, a police officer, and two speech bubbles.
    Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva
    English Learners From Our Research Center What Educators Say English Learners Need Most
    Educators spoke of the need for more training in a national survey on English-learner instruction.
    Ileana Najarro, April 23, 2026
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    3 min read
    A look at the state of teaching with English learner students in Antioch, Tenn.
    English-language teacher Tameka Marshall leads a lesson dissecting a speech at John F. Kennedy Middle School on Dec. 3, 2025, in Antioch, Tenn. A national survey found that, while English-learner teachers are viewed as primarily responsible for these students, they are not always included in schoolwide instructional decisions.
    William DeShazer for Education Week
    English Learners From Our Research Center How Schools Serve English Learners Today, in Charts
    New national survey data sheds light on where schools can improve English learners' instruction.
    Ileana Najarro & Alex Harwin, April 23, 2026
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    4 min read
    Federal policy moves carry implications for ELs, immigrant students
    Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva
    English Learners How Federal Changes Affect English Learners, Immigrant Students
    Since January 2025, several federal policy changes carry implications for ELs and immigrant students.
    Ileana Najarro, April 16, 2026
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    2 min read
    TahSoGhay Collah, right, teaches a third-grade English learners class at the 700-student intermediate school that serves grades 3 through 5, in Worthington, Minn., on Oct. 22, 2024.
    TahSoGhay Collah, right, teaches a 3rd grade English-learner class at a school that serves grades 3 through 5, in Worthington, Minn., on Oct. 22, 2024. Experts say there is no one-size-fits-all funding model for English learners.
    Jessie Wardarski/AP
    English Learners How to Make English-Learner Funding 'Fair and Effective'
    Experts share how state funding models can better support English learners with various needs.
    Ileana Najarro, April 8, 2026
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    5 min read
    English Language Teacher Olga Dietz, middle, talks with Glenda McKinney, another English Language Teacher, in between classes at Mt.View Elementary School in Antioch, Tenn.
    English-learner teacher Olga Dietz, middle, talks with Glenda McKinney, another EL teacher, in between classes at Mt. View Elementary School in Antioch, Tenn., on Dec. 3, 2025. Across the country districts are increasingly in need of these teachers with specialized skills for helping students learning English as the national EL population continues to grow.
    William DeShazer for Education Week
    English Learners 'They're Our Kids’: How Teaching English Learners Is Changing
    As the national English-learner population continues to grow, the role of EL teachers is evolving.
    Ileana Najarro, March 4, 2026
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    12 min read
    Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, the English Learner Lead for Galax City Public Schools, meets with the Student Assistance Team for Galax High School on Monday morning.
    Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, the English-learner lead for Galax City Public Schools, meets with colleagues at Galax High School in January 2026.
    Kate Medley for Education Week
    English Learners Q&A Mentors Can Prevent English Learners From Dropping Out. Here’s How
    A mentorship program helps this rural district graduate more English learners and Hispanic students.
    Lauraine Langreo, February 9, 2026
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    4 min read
    Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, English Learner lead for Galax City Public Schools, works a jigsaw puzzle with students at Galax High School on Monday Jan. 12, 2026.
    Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, English-learner lead for Galax City Public Schools, works a jigsaw puzzle with students at Galax High School on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.
    Kate Medley for Education Week
    English Learners Leader To Learn From How One Rural District Used College Students to Keep English Learners in School
    This leader's mentorship program with a local university has helped rural English learners at risk of dropping out.
    Lauraine Langreo, February 9, 2026
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    13 min read
    ESL teacher Edmund Martinez keeps a graduation cap and gown in his classroom to inspire students to graduate in Russellville, Ala., on December 9, 2022.
    A graduation cap and gown sit in an ESL teacher's classroom in Russellville, Ala. New research suggests some negative outcomes from grouping English learners together in high school, such as a lower likelihood of graduating on time.
    Tamika Moore for Education Week
    English Learners What New Research Reveals About Grouping English Learners Together
    New research cautions districts from defaulting to grouping all English learners together.
    Ileana Najarro, January 30, 2026
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    4 min read
    Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
    Sonia Pulido for Education Week
    English Learners Opinion To Teach (and Reach) English Learners, Center Their Identity
    Instructing multilingual learners effectively requires a balancing act from teachers.
    Larry Ferlazzo, January 29, 2026
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    9 min read
    Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
    Sonia Pulido for Education Week
    English Learners Opinion 10 Ways to Support Instruction for English Learners
    Graphic organizers, anchor charts, questions to ask yourself, and more can simplify instruction.
    Larry Ferlazzo, December 30, 2025
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    10 min read
    English Learners Reports Instructing English Learners, In 10 Charts
    This report summarizes survey findings related to English learners, including topics ranging from professional development to legal rulings.
    December 22, 2025