The latest Nation’s Report Card is in—and the results are sobering. According to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the academic performance of English Learners (ELs) has declined faster than that of their non-EL peers, widening an already troubling achievement gap. In response, the English Learners Success Forum (ELSF) has issued a powerful call to action: it’s time to rethink and reimagine how we support our multilingual learners.
The recent NAEP report highlights a troubling trend: while some progress has been made, students in the United States, especially those designated as English Learners, continue to lag in both math and English.
— Crystal Gonzales, Founder and Executive Director, ELSF
The Numbers Behind the Urgency
NAEP data show a sharp decline in reading and math scores for ELs since 2022. In reading, ELs dropped five points on average—more than double the two-point decline seen by non-ELs. Most notably, students in the lowest performance group (25th percentile) saw the steepest drops: ELs declined by eight points compared to a three-point decline for non-ELs.
The story is similar in math. Grade 8 ELs in the lowest percentile dropped six points, while their non-EL peers declined by only two. Even worse, while higher-performing non-ELs showed gains, ELs in the same groups saw no significant improvement. The gap is not just widening; it’s deepening.
Perhaps the most unsettling statistic: 67% of fourth and eighth graders remain below basic proficiency in math, and nearly 70% of teachers report feeling unprepared to teach multilingual learners.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just about numbers; it’s about students. More than 5 million English Learners are enrolled in our public schools, and when we fail to meet their needs, we are failing our future. These data underscore an urgent and systemic issue: our educational materials and strategies are not equitably serving all learners.
As Gonzales rightly puts it, “Education should empower every student to reach their full potential; it’s a national shame that approximately 70% of teachers feel unprepared to teach multilingual learners.”
ELSF’s Vision for Change
The English Learners Success Forum is leading the charge for the better. Committed to ensuring high-quality, rigorous, and accessible instructional materials for Multilingual Learners (MLLs), ELSF brings educators, researchers, district leaders, and funders together to close the opportunity gap.
Their message is clear: Stronger, more inclusive, and culturally responsive educational materials can be a game-changer. And it’s not just about benefiting ELs—what works for them works for everyone.
What Needs to Happen Next
The NAEP report should serve as a wake-up call. It’s time for school systems, policymakers, and curriculum developers to:
- Prioritize EL-focused instructional materials in core content areas.
- Provide targeted professional learning so that teachers are equipped to meet the needs of multilingual learners.
- Use data wisely—NAEP is one source; it should be paired with local and classroom-level data to build a more complete picture.
- Elevate multilingual learners’ voices and involve families and communities in decision-making processes.
- Invest in equity-centered curriculum adoption processes that reflect the diversity of our student population.
Hope Through Collaboration
As Gonzales reminds us, “Collaborative efforts between education leaders, parents, and the community can facilitate a successful curriculum adoption process that can right the declining data.” Change won’t come from one report, one policy, or one person. But together, we can redesign systems to serve all students—starting with our multilingual learners.
Because when we design for those historically marginalized, we don’t just catch them up—we lift everyone forward.
Explore how you can support multilingual learners and advance equity in your school community. Visit The Core Collaborative’s Multilingual Learner Hub for tools, resources, and professional learning opportunities. Learn more about the important work of the English Learners Success Forum at elsforum.org.
Let’s turn data into direction—and direction into action.