New York Schools Are Driving Immediate Gains for Multilingual Learners. Here’s How

Uncommon Schools charter public schools in Brooklyn, New York, have found a multilingual learner curriculum that meets educators’ needs and drives rapid learning gains. That program, Lexia English Language Development™, led to impressive results after one year of use.

This case study illustrates those gains by sharing some impressive student statistics at the 21 schools using Lexia English during 2023–2024. Results show that:

• 70% of students used Lexia English with fidelity.

• K–12 students completed an average of nine units a week.

• 80% of students advanced at least one proficiency level on the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT), compared with 37% the previous year.

“Hands are raised,” reported Dr. Jiel Joseph, senior regional manager of special education and English Language Learners for Uncommon Schools New York City. “Kids are answering questions. They’re practicing. I could talk all day about how exciting it is to see our kids really, really grow and thrive and want to come to school.”

Lexia English is an adaptive blended learning program that supports multilingual learners’ English language acquisition through academic conversations. The program integrates speaking, listening, and grammar in the subjects of math, science, social studies, general knowledge, and biographies.

Discover the impact Lexia English is making on New York multilingual learners and their teachers.