English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners

 

Multilingual learners make up a growing and increasingly diverse share of New York’s student population—12% statewide in 2025—including many newcomer and migrant students with unique needs and interrupted schooling, as well as students in rural and suburban communities that have not historically served them.

Yet these students continue to face significant barriers to accessing high-quality instruction and supports: too many are steered away from high school into GED or adult ESL programs, and there are not enough bilingual, ESL, or summer learning opportunities to meet demand. Long-standing inequities and structural factors — worsened by the pandemic — including under-resourced schools, limited access to certified teachers, and segregation, continue to shape their educational experiences and outcomes.

Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

Our Equity-Centered Approach

We work to strengthen advocacy efforts that expand educational opportunities for ELLs/MLLs across New York State, especially at a time of increasing need. As more migrant and newcomer students arrive, shifting federal policies — including threats to immigration status and cuts to instructional supports — are compounding long-standing challenges for students and schools. These challenges underscore the urgent need for policies and supports that ensure all students can safely access and fully participate in their education and receive the supports they need to succeed.

Latest Resource

Coming Soon!

Featured Reports and Resources Over the Years

default

Statement: New York Fails to Seize Critical Opportunity for Child Care with Bill Vetoes

In recent years, New York State has made historic investments to expand child care eligibility for middle-class families, yet thousands of families still cannot access these programs. The system remains inequitable, primarily because it lacks a focus on affordability and accessibility for lower-income families.

Learn more
default

Poll: NYC Residents Overwhelmingly Support Investment in Early Childhood Programs

The poll findings highlight the tremendous amount of stress and economic instability New York City families have experienced during the course of the pandemic, something that could be relieved if all families, especially those disproportionately impacted by economic hardship during the pandemic, had access to high-quality, affordable child care.

Learn more
default

Poll: Business Leaders Face Economic Hardship Due to Lack of Employee Access to Child Care

A majority of business leaders (58%) say the lack of accessibility and availability of high-quality child care for infants and toddlers negatively impacts their business, according to a statewide poll, a finding that was especially true among businesses in New York City where two-thirds (67%) of business leaders agreed.

Learn more
default

Blog: The State of Child Care Compensation, and Where We Go From Here

The first three years of a child’s life are critical, a formative period that can lay the groundwork for the best possible outcomes throughout their life. Child care providers, who are predominantly women of color and earn less than 96% of other occupations, are essentially doing anti-poverty work while earning low wages that perpetuate systemic racism and economic inequities in our State.
Learn more

Data Snapshot

Only

%

of ELLs/MLLs in grades 3-8 scored proficient on the 2024-25 English Language Arts assessment, compared to 58% of their monolingual English-speaking peers.

*New York State Assessment Results, 2024-25

Only

of ELLs/MLLs graduated on time in 2025, as opposed to 88% of non-ELLs.

*New York State Graduation Rates, 2024-25

More Resources

Testimony for New York City Council Committee on Education Fiscal Year 27 Preliminary Budget – Education

by | Apr 2, 2026 |

As the largest district in the state and nation, serving nearly 1 million students, New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is a key focus of EdTrust-New York’s commitment to advancing equity-focused educational efforts across the state. Such investments are even more critical this year due to federal funding cuts and attacks on critical educational equity programs. The following are our top priorities for the FY27 budget.