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Approximately 1 in 10 students in U.S. public schools are classified as English learners or English language learners (students whose first language is not English) — and the number is rising. At the start of the pandemic, many experts worried this student demographic would fall behind, and the sentiment was not unfounded.

While the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report revealed that 8th-grade English learners improved in reading comprehension scores from 2019 to 2022, which could be explained by a number of reasons, both the 4th-grade and 12th-grade cohorts did worse. Roy Loewenstein, a spokesman for the DOE, indicated that the score increase for the 8th grade EL cohort is “notable,” but the rest of the report is a “stark reminder” of the pandemic’s impact on all students nationwide.

Here’s a look at the latest findings on English Learners’ proficiency gains and challenges — and strategies for better supporting their learning needs.