Dual Language Education Challenges & Opportunities

RESEARCH: Dual Language Learners (DLLs)—young children with at least one parent who speaks a language other than English—make up one-third of all children ages 0–5 in the United States. This fact sheet series and related resources provide essential data on the number and characteristics of DLL children and their families nationwide and in the 30 states with the most DLLs.

When students enroll in school and in school-related services, they shouldn’t have to worry about whether their private information will be used against

Yuko Goto Butler’s latest book gathers research on language development and pedagogy among children learning a foreign language and presents it in a manner that bridges research and practice.

Leigh Knapp made collection development decisions focused on improving the reading skills of the refugee population at her Milwaukee elementary school and helping the students acclimate to their new surroundings.

For many families in New Mexico, finding early childhood healthcare in their native language isn’t just difficult—it’s often out of reach. This language gap can be especially critical when it comes to children with autism or developmental delays

Multilingualism is a gift to students, communities, and our country. The Trump Administration is trying to hinder it.

For this final piece in The Century Foundation’s focus group series with teachers of English learners (ELs), we discuss the evolving practices around

PRZECZYTAJ TEN ARTYKUŁ PO POLSKU >> In 2015, Public School 34 in Greenpoint launched the first Polish-English Dual Language Program on the East Coast, allowing students to learn simultaneously in both languages. As Radio RAMPA has learned, for the 2025–2026 school year, P.S. 34 will continue offering bilingual Polish-language classes, but with changes. The New […]

Technology can amplify equity or widen gaps, says Baylor University researcher and former teacher Joshua Jonas. So it’s vital schools find edtech tha

Infante-Green: Rhode Island makes sure multilingual students have rigorous, high-quality instructional materials & that teachers know how to use them.

INSIDE: See which school districts had the most exemptions.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill. The bill, which includes funding for key education, workforce, and health programs, was approved by the committee with a 26-3 vote, and is now headed to the full Senate for consideration. The bill allocates roughly $200 billion—similar to the previous year's enacted funding, including $79 billion for the Department of Education, exceeding President Trump's proposal by $12.3 billion. It emphasizes support for programs like Title I-A, IDEA Part B, the Rural Education Achievement Program, Head Start, and

President Donald Trump has called for eliminating federal dollars set aside for English learners. Advocates make their case.

When I walked into International High School at Lafayette one afternoon, the halls were already buzzing. You could hear soft conversations in Arabic,

As the Science of Reading (SoR) gains traction across states, schools, and teacher preparation programs, a pressing question has emerged: How well does the SoR framework serve multilingual learners (MLs)? The Reading League (2021, para. 1) defines the SoR as “a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing,” drawing from fields such as cognitive psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and education. Proponents champion its research-based foundations and its potential to improve reading outcomes through explicit, systematic instruction. For many educators, the SoR has provided much-needed clarity, structure, and a corrective to years of inconsistent

Teachers are embracing AI tools to translate texts, modify reading passages, and create engaging language acquisition activities for English learners. But federal funding cuts and other issues could complicate that work.

Multilingual learners are the fastest growing population of students in our country. If you think about the history and legacy of multilingual learners and young people who speak languages other than English in our schools and communities, they’ve always been here all along the way, and their numbers are exponentially growing. Multilingual learners and families are not a monolith, which means the levels of support that we provide have to be nuanced and personalized. We also have to think critically and deeply in terms of how to engage these students, and not just assume they’re “unable to do something” just

Survey data analysis found more mental health counselors at school can boost morale for English-as-a-second language teachers.

AI tools and supports could mean the difference between silent confusion and real understanding for English Learners.

The San Francisco Unified School District announced plans to significantly expand its Chinese-language programs, highlighted by the construction of a brand-new K-8 Mandarin immersion school.

The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled state schools chief Tom Horne has “no role in determining the instruction models available to schools.\

Drawing on case studies of SEAL’s English learner education model in three school districts in California, New America highlights strategies that facilitated systemic changes for an asset-oriented approach.

When parents can’t access educational services in their native language, children often fall into the role of ad hoc interpreter.