NYC schools struggle to meet needs of English learners: Here’s why bilingual support remains insufficient

An audit has revealed that New York City’s public schools routinely fail to provide thousands of English language learners (ELLs) with the proper instruction required by state regulations.

The Comptroller’s report highlights significant gaps in course enrolment and teacher certification, affecting nearly half of the students reviewed.According to the audit, 48% of the 301 student records examined showed that the Education Department did not place students in the correct courses or provide the mandated number of instructional minutes in English as a new language or bilingual programmes. Furthermore, nearly 41% of students had one or more teachers who lacked certification to teach these programmes, the report detailed.Widespread failure to meet instruction and certification requirementsThe audit, conducted by Comptroller Brad Lander’s office, also found that despite an increase in English learners over recent years, the Education Department has struggled to recruit sufficient bilingual teachers. The number of English learners in the city’s public schools rose to over 152,000 last year, nearly 17% of all students, driven partly by an influx of asylum seekers.

This represents a 12% increase over five years, even as overall school enrolment has declined.The report pointed out that between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, only nine new bilingual programmes were added, bringing the total to 566. The slow expansion falls short of the growing need, especially as many educators rely on tools such as Google Translate to support students.The audit also revealed that 146 out of 150 waiver requests submitted last school year were improper, violating state limits on how long waivers can be applied consecutively.

These waivers exempt schools from creating new bilingual classes for students who speak less common languages, including Russian, Bengali, Arabic, Uzbek, and Haitian Creole. These violations affected approximately 9,500 students, with more than half of the waivers coming from South Brooklyn districts 20, 21, and 22.Issues with family notification and teacher trainingThe audit further found inconsistencies in how schools inform families about their rights and programme options for English learners.

It noted a lack of documented proof that families were provided with adequate information to choose among different instructional programmes.Moreover, the Education Department does not monitor whether certified teachers complete required ongoing training. Instead, this is self-reported by educators to the state, a practice the audit criticised for lacking robust oversight.Key statistics from the NYC English language learner audit

Challenges cited by educatorsJennifer Gorman, a Bronx high school teacher certified to teach English learners, told the outlet that resource constraints and teacher shortages hinder the provision of adequate support.

She described the current system as “not designed for their success” and emphasised the importance of bilingual programmes where students learn in both English and their home language.“When we don’t use that home language as a resource, we’re setting the kids back even further,” she said, as reported by the outlet.Recommendations and city responseThe audit recommended ten reforms to address these issues, including recruiting more qualified teachers, improving oversight of instruction time, and standardising family notification processes.

The Education Department agreed with nine of these recommendations but rejected one suggesting central tracking of ongoing teacher training.An Education Department spokesperson stated that strategic initiatives had already been implemented to improve language instruction and equity. “By expanding hiring for English as a New Language and bilingual education teachers and continuing growth of our bilingual education programmes, we have taken action to meet the linguistic and academic needs of every student,” the spokesperson said.The audit underscores persistent challenges in delivering equitable education to New York City’s English language learners and points to areas where the city’s education system must improve compliance and resources.