State Testing is Failing Your Multilingual Learners. What Can You Do About It?

Every summer, administrators and teachers sit down with stacks of state testing data, hoping to find clear answers about how to support their multilingual learners next year. But there’s a problem—these tests aren’t giving them the data they need. The results are vague, outdated, and often misleading. How can teachers plan targeted instruction when the only data available is five or six months old? Worse yet, the tests don’t break down which specific skills students need to develop. Yet districts are still being asked to make programming decisions based on numbers that don’t tell the whole story.

The Impact of State Testing on Multilingual Learners and Teachers

Teachers Are Left Guessing

Without clear, skill-specific data, teachers are forced to plan instruction blindly. They don’t know which students need help with decoding, vocabulary, or comprehension, so lessons become generalized and less effective.

Students Feel Stuck

Multilingual learners rarely understand what their test scores actually mean. Broad labels like “Intermediate” don’t tell them what to work on, leaving them unmotivated and unsure of their progress.

High Stakes, One Shot

A single test, on a single day, often dictates a student’s placement for the next year—regardless of whether it reflects their actual abilities or growth.

Program Decisions Based on Flawed Data

Administrators want to support teachers, but without reliable, up-to-date data, resource decisions are often made on guesswork rather than need.

What Forward-Thinking Districts Are Doing Differently

Here are three specific districts and schools that are setting a powerful example in supporting multilingual learners—along with what they’re doing differently:

1. Tooele County School District (Utah)

In collaboration with REL West, TCSD implemented a continuous improvement model built around ongoing formative assessment for multilingual learners. Teachers regularly collect classroom-based data—on speaking, writing, reading, and listening—to make real-time instructional adjustments. This approach enables immediate support rather than waiting for annual test scores.

2. Ysleta Independent School District (Texas)

Serving a predominantly Hispanic student population, Ysleta ISD has developed a dual‑language program (starting with 90% Spanish, gradually increasing English) and uses Istation formative assessments in both Spanish literacy and English reading. Results show that students build strong Spanish language foundation early and then outperform peers in English literacy by 3rd–5th grade.

3. Oakland International High School (Oakland Unified School District, California)

Although not a districtwide model, OIHS is a satellite campus designed for recent newcomer immigrants. It operates using the Internationals Network approach, which blends project-based learning, small heterogeneous groups, and integrated language development across curricula. Teachers are trained in scaffolded instruction that builds language in context—and assess student growth through performance-based tasks, not just standardized tests.

At a glance: What they’re doing differently

Why these examples matter

• Real-time data, not retrospective snapshots: Tooele’s approach ensures teachers can adapt instruction as students learn—not months later.

• Language development in two languages: Ysleta ISD underscores how building Spanish literacy early can boost later English achievement when combined with consistent progress monitoring in both languages.

• Integrated content-language instruction: Oakland International High doesn’t treat English development as a bolt-on; it's woven into all classroom projects and performance tasks.

How AIR Language is Building to Support This Shift

State testing isn’t going away—but forward-thinking districts are no longer waiting for it to drive their decisions. At AIR Language, we’re building tools that help schools support multilingual learners with the data and content they actually need.

1. Content That Reflects Students’ Lives and Needs

We’re curating reading materials that mirror the real experiences of multilingual learners—ensuring that lessons are culturally relevant and aligned to the language demands students face in class and life. This makes learning meaningful and engaging for students who often feel disconnected from generic curriculum content.

2. Automatic Assessment Aligned to the Science of Reading—with a Personal Touch

AIR Language assesses students in real-time across the five components of the Science of Reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. But it’s not just automated. Our AI reading tutor, Ari, is designed to build rapport with students through conversational interactions. Ari personalizes feedback, encourages students, and guides them through skills in a way that feels like a 1-on-1 reading conference—not a cold assessment. This combination of structure and human-like connection helps students stay motivated while giving teachers accurate, skill-specific insights.

3. Real-Time Data for Teachers and Administrators

Teachers need immediate feedback to adjust instruction. Leaders need clear, up-to-date data to make programming decisions. AIR Language delivers both. Our dashboards provide a live view of student progress, ensuring that instructional and administrative decisions are proactive, not reactive.

We're not just building an assessment tool—we’re building a growth engine for multilingual learners.

Learn how AIR Language is supporting this shift at:

The Science of Reading for Multilingual Learners