In Minnesota and across the country, too many DLL students do not get the educational support they need to thrive in school. Results for dual language learners (DLLs) in reading are consistently far behind their peers, in Minnesota and nationally. In 2017, only one in three Minnesota DLLs were reading at grade level in third grade, compared with more than half of third-graders statewide. In light of these results, education policies and media coverage often portray multilingualism as a problem. With the right supports, however, multilingualism can be a huge asset to students’ learning and to the school community.
