The New York City Education Director, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, announced the completion of the “Boldly Reimagining Multilingual Education” report on October 14. The report outlined various initiatives to expand language education, including piloting new English language development courses for English Language Learners (ELLs) and expanding heritage language programs in Mandarin and Spanish from 6 to 31 classes across 29 schools.
The report highlighted that 44% of students in the city speak languages other than English at home, with one in every five students identified as an English Language Learner. In response to the diverse linguistic needs of students, there is a pressing need to broaden access to high-quality courses and increase the number of bilingual teachers.
The Education Department introduced a new pilot program to launch two new English language development courses in 80 schools and 8 districts. These courses will serve as core English curriculum options for Kindergarten to 5th-grade Entering and Emerging ELLs.
Expanding on the initiative, the New York City Education Department increased the Mandarin and Spanish heritage language programs from 6 to 31 classes across 29 schools. These programs aim to support students from Mandarin- or Spanish-speaking backgrounds by offering rigorous language courses to enhance language skills and strengthen cultural connections and school engagement.
To support multilingual development, the Education Department offers 566 bilingual education programs in 12 different languages, with 28 new programs being introduced this academic year. Additionally, the department is actively promoting the “Seal of Biliteracy” in New York State, with over 2,500 students from 132 schools earning the certification last year, marking a 29% and 23% increase from the previous year.
The Multilingual NYC Advisory Council, established in June 2024, conducted a comprehensive analysis of multilingual education in the city. The council identified five key priorities to advance high-quality, diverse, and equitable multilingual education:
1. Establishing high-quality and equitable multilingual pathways for English Language Learners (ELLs).
2. Strengthening and expanding culturally and linguistically responsive teaching staff.
3. Promoting inclusivity and cultural belonging for multilingual and immigrant students and their families.
4. Cultivating leadership and advocacy skills among multilingual and immigrant families and communities.
5. Recognizing multilingual proficiency as a core competitiveness for college, career, and civic readiness.