Exploring the Educational Gap of Virginia English Language Learners: Challenges and Opportunities for Academic Success

English Language Learners (ELLs) in the state of Virginia have significantly lower scores in the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment exam than those of their English-speaking peers. The SOL measures students’ mastery of knowledge and skills taught in the classroom, and over the last decade, passing rates of the assessment’s core subjects amongst ELLs have continued to decrease and remain relatively low. In the 2023-2024 academic year, the average passing rate for ELLs who took the Writing SOL was only 26%, with Science being not much higher at 29%, and Reading at 33%. For the non-ELL student body, average rates across core subjects are much higher, being between 65-90%. Further research has shown that this is a nationwide issue. The main objective of this study is to present the challenges and causes of low passing rates and propose opportunities for solutions to close the gaps in education for academic success. Initial informal interviews with Multilingual Ambassador Program (MAP) colleagues who have lived experience with English Language programs in Virginia’s K-12 public school system along with individuals in Latinx Student Association (LSA), have shared key qualitative insights that support the quantitative data trends. Colleagues shared a common struggle in simultaneously learning a new language while acquiring new content with little support available and lack of cultural sensitivity. School faculty and staff also shared difficulties with lack of resources and support, particularly in rural or low-income areas. To combat this, this study proposes a solution to create easily accessible, no-cost, multilingual resources for students and teachers that are culturally relevant and sensitive to learning differences. Furthermore, schools should seek opportunities to promote academic engagement of ELLs and their families, and establish support networks to help students excel in their academic achievements.