How Did Missouri Support English Language Learners During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Like other vulnerable student populations, English Language Learners (ELLs) have faced increased challenges at home and at school throughout the pandemic. These disproportionate impacts may have a sustained adverse effect on ELLs’ well-being and ability to learn. In fact, some preliminary evidence suggests that the learning gap is already growing between non-native English-speaking students and their English-speaking counterparts. Moreover, virtual education might be detrimental to the development of ELL students. School districts have struggled to adapt and accommodate ELLs.
To address these concerns, the Policy Research in Missouri Education (PRiME) Center analyzed school district reopening plans in fall 2020 to understand how Missouri districts responded to English Language Learners. We find:
Across the state, Missouri’s ELLs were often forgotten in district reopening plans. Of the 115 districts serving ELLs, only 45 districts had any plan for ELLs. Of those 45 districts, only 10 had detailed plans prioritizing the continued delivery of supports and services to ELLs.
Nearly half (47%) of ELLs in Missouri began the year in fully distanced education, compared to only 28% of the state’s student body. ELLs are concentrated in urban and suburban areas, which were much more likely to be fully distanced at the start of the year.
