Before COVID-19 shuttered classrooms, English learners (ELs) were already navigating the twin challenges of mastering academic content and a new language.
The Century Foundation’s 2021 brief “Pandemic Response to Pandemic Recovery: Helping English Learners Succeed This Fall and Beyond” argues that the pandemic turned those hurdles into roadblocks—and that schools still have a window (though quickly closing) to rebuild something better.
This post unpacks why ELs were hit hardest, highlights the brief’s four-part recovery roadmap, and shows how those recommendations align with the Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation’s mission of fostering bilingualism and equity.
Use it as your springboard, then dive into the full report to spark action in your district or nonprofit network.
1. Why multilingual learners are still catching up in 2025
A disproportionate hit
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Sheer scale. More than 5.3 million U.S. students—about one in ten—were identified as ELs in 2021, the latest national data available.
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Steeper learning loss. NWEA’s 2023-24 MAP Growth analyses show ELs lost nearly double the instructional ground in reading and math compared with English-proficient peers and are recovering more slowly.
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Lingering gaps. A 2025 Chalkbeat synthesis of state scores finds the average student still half a grade level behind pre-pandemic norms—but the gap is significantly wider for ELs in low-income districts.
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Compounding inequities. CRPE researchers warn that unfinished learning could cost today’s ELs the equivalent of $49,000 in lifetime earnings without urgent intervention.
What went wrong
During remote learning many ELs faced unreliable Wi-Fi, English-only worksheets, and fewer opportunities for conversational practice.
Districts such as Westminster and Harrison (CO) saw PSAT score drops of 120+ points for EL 10th-graders—four times the decline of peers. Even where academics are bouncing back, English proficiency often lags because language scaffolds and bilingual staff were among the first cuts during emergency pivots.
2. Four priorities from the Century Foundation report
“Education leaders must treat language growth, academic recovery, and wellness as inseparable.” —Williams & Marcus, TCF
2.1 Re-engage families in two-way partnerships
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Translate everything: newsletters, robocalls, IEP meetings.
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Use community liaisons and WhatsApp groups so families can ask questions in real time.
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Spotlight student assets—home languages, cultural knowledge—rather than language “deficits.”
TCF authors note that districts anchoring recovery plans in authentic family dialogue saw higher re-enrollment and attendance when campuses reopened.
2.2 Embed social-emotional and trauma-informed supports
ELs disproportionately experienced family illness, economic upheaval, and anti-immigrant rhetoric during COVID-19. SEL lessons that double as language-practice—think feelings vocab role-plays or reflective journaling in two languages—serve dual purposes.
Spring Branch ISD used these strategies alongside tutoring and regained pre-2019 performance faster than neighboring districts, illustrating the payoff.
2.3 Monitor BOTH language and content growth
The brief urges districts to administer an early, low-stakes English-language assessment and curriculum-aligned screeners in math and literacy, then adjust instruction weekly.
Such “short-cycle” data guard against long “silent periods.” EL-focused benchmark systems piloted in Palm Beach County’s Indigenous Latinx program show promise in closing accuracy gaps in identification and placement.
2.4 Braid every remaining dollar around clear goals
ESSER III dollars expire September 30, 2024, and many states require liquidation by January 2025.
Experts warn that cliff could jeopardize bilingual tutors, co-teaching models, and tech tools purchased with relief funds. Yet leaders can still combine leftover ESSER, Title III, and community-based grants to lock in staffing and extend programs.
The brief offers sample budget tables to simplify that braiding.
3. The 2025 landscape: urgency and opportunity
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Budget pressure is real. As districts stitch post-ESSER budgets, discretionary supports often shrink first. Voices from Houston to New York report uneven recovery tied to local funding capacity.chalkbeat.org
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Fresh federal guidance. OELAS released updated Title III family-engagement expectations in June 2024, reiterating that translation alone is insufficient and highlighting virtual listening sessions as an allowable expense.azed.gov
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Momentum for bilingual education. States like California now champion multilingualism, yet supply of certified bilingual teachers hasn’t kept pace—proof that policy shifts require sustained investment.
4. Ready to go deeper?
English learners cannot afford another year of incremental change.
The Century Foundation brief offers checklists, message templates, and budget worksheets you can lift tomorrow—whether you’re a district leader, nonprofit partner, or funder.
Read the full report: Pandemic Response to Pandemic Recovery: Helping English Learners Succeed This Fall and Beyond
