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Why High School EL Programs Fail (and how to fix them): Content Teachers Lack Training in EL Strategies

  • Writer: Kyle Larson
    Kyle Larson
  • Apr 8
  • 7 min read

Your English language program needs to include PD for content teachers. We are failing with this.


In nearly every high school across the country, English learners (ELs) are sitting in content classrooms—biology, history, math—struggling to access material delivered in a language they’re still acquiring. And their teachers? Many are struggling too.

It’s not because they don’t care. It’s because they were never trained to teach students who are learning English, and the training that they do get, is clearly not reaching them.


This issue is one of the quietest and most impactful failures in how we serve multilingual learners. And it’s fixable. But the fix isn’t a generic PD or a compliance mandate. It’s a shift in how we approach professional learning—toward training that teachers actually want to attend and feel empowered by.

In nearly every high school across the country, English learners (ELs) are placed in content-area classes—science, history, algebra—without the support they need to succeed. And their teachers? Most are doing the best they can with limited training and zero tools.

This isn’t just an implementation issue. It’s a systems failure.

General education teachers are being asked to teach academic content to students who are simultaneously learning the language in which that content is delivered—without ever having been trained to do so. And while every teacher wants to help their students, very few have the background knowledge or strategies needed to truly support language learners in a rigorous classroom.

The good news? This is a fixable problem—if we approach professional development differently.


The Problem: Content Teachers Aren’t Trained to Teach Language

The vast majority of high school content teachers aren’t trained in second language acquisition. Their prep programs don’t cover strategies like comprehensible input, sentence-level scaffolds, or how to write and assess language objectives. And once they’re in the classroom, they rarely get targeted support—leaving them to guess, simplify content, or hope for the best.

This creates frustration across the board:

  • EL students struggle to access the material and participate.

  • Teachers feel overwhelmed and underprepared.

  • Administrators chase compliance while growth stalls.

Research confirms this training gap is widespread (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2017; de Jong, 2011). But with the right PD model, we can close it—and help every teacher become a language teacher.


The Fix: Build a PD Program Teachers Are Grateful For into your English language program

Great professional development isn’t another obligation—it’s a solution teachers didn’t know they needed. Here’s how to do it right:


1. Start With the Data—Their Data

Before launching any training or introducing new strategies, start with what matters most to teachers: their own students.


Instead of just showing annual language assessment results (like TELPAS or WIDA), zoom in. Sit down with teachers and look at data they can own and act on. This includes:


  • Student work samples from ELs in their class

  • Grades and assignment completion rates compared across proficiency levels

  • Formative assessments or quiz data disaggregated by language proficiency

  • Classroom observation notes on participation, speaking time, or use of academic vocabulary

  • Reflections or goal-setting forms completed by the students themselves

Then layer in district-level trends:

  • Which proficiency bands aren’t showing growth?

  • Which content areas have persistent gaps for ELs?

  • What do students say about how they participate in those classes?

This moves the conversation from “some students out there are struggling” to “my students are facing real barriers—and I might be able to do something about it.”

And most importantly, review this data with teachers, not just in front of them. Invite open-ended reflection:

  • What patterns do you notice?

  • What do you wonder?

  • What seems to be working for your multilingual learners—and what isn’t?

This type of data-informed collaboration builds investment from the start and ensures that the PD that follows isn’t just a district checkbox—it’s a tailored response to real classroom needs (Knight, 2007; Darling-Hammond et al., 2017).


2. Bring in Outside Experts—But Make Them Partners

The right consultants bring perspective, research, and clarity—but they should never replace your staff’s voice. The most effective model pairs external EL specialists with internal instructional coaches and teacher leaders.

This triad co-plans the PD, models together in classrooms, and creates context-specific examples using local curriculum. Instead of “here’s what you should do,” teachers get “let’s figure out how this works in your class.”

Research supports hybrid PD models that blend outside expertise with internal trust (Desimone & Garet, 2015; Hattie, 2009). Done well, this approach feels like collaboration—not evaluation.


3. Focus on High-Impact Strategies That Help All Students

Anchor the training in practices that are simple, powerful, and applicable across subjects. Start with three:

  • Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

    Teach Tier 2 and Tier 3 words with visuals, repetition, and context. Make it a norm, not an add-on.(Calderón, Slavin, & Sánchez, 2011)

  • Sentence Frames and Starters

    Provide structured language for students to speak and write academically. Frames like “I predict ___ because ___” build confidence and clarity.(Zwiers, 2014)

  • Language Objectives

    Every lesson should include a language goal alongside the content objective—e.g., “I can describe the causes of the American Revolution using sequencing words.”(Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2017)


These strategies support English learners and strengthen learning for all students.


4. Embed Planning Time into Every PD Session

Don’t separate learning and application. During each PD session, build in collaborative lesson design time. Right after teachers learn a new strategy, they should:

  • Plan a short lesson or task using it

  • Modify an existing assignment to include a scaffold

  • Share drafts with peers for feedback

This planning window turns theory into practice immediately, removing the barrier of “I don’t have time to figure this out later” (Gulamhussein, 2013; DuFour et al., 2010).

Bonus: Bring in language specialists or coaches during this time to offer feedback and suggest EL-friendly adjustments on the spot.


5. Roll It Out Slowly—with SIOP + The 7 Steps

Big change happens in small, steady steps. Instead of dumping strategies all at once, implement a semester-long rollout combining the SIOP Model and Seidlitz Education’s “7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive Classroom.”

Sample Rollout:

  • Quarter 1: SIOP’s “Building Background” + Step 1 (“Teach students what to say when they don’t know what to say”) and Step 2 (“Have students speak in complete sentences”)

  • Quarter 2: SIOP’s “Comprehensible Input” + Step 3 (“Randomize & Rotate when calling on students”)

  • Quarter 3: SIOP’s “Interaction” and “Practice/Application” + Steps 4-6 (Structured conversations, academic vocabulary, and interactive word walls)

  • Quarter 4: SIOP’s “Review/Assessment” + Step 7 (“Closure and checking for understanding”)


This dual framework helps teachers internalize language scaffolds in manageable chunks. Over time, the strategies become routine, not required (Joyce & Showers, 2002; Echevarria et al., 2017; Seidlitz & Perryman, 2011).


6. Go With the Goers

Years ago, an instructional coach told me something I’ll never forget:


“You’re going to face resistance. But go with the goers.”


When I started offering in-class support to content teachers, I was surprised at how many doors stayed closed. Not because teachers didn’t care—but because they were overextended, undertrained, and unsure of what I had to offer.

But that coach was right. There were a few teachers—just a few—who leaned in. They were curious, open, and willing to try. So I committed to them. I showed up regularly, offered planning support, co-taught, and debriefed. I asked, “What’s the best way to serve you this week?” and I listened.

The change wasn’t immediate, but it was visible. Student engagement went up. Lesson delivery became smoother. And slowly, other teachers started asking:“What are you doing with her?”“Can you help me with this unit?”

This is how real instructional culture shifts. Not by forcing every teacher to comply, but by investing in the willing—and letting the results speak for themselves.

Leadership research supports this approach: early adopters of instructional change can influence their peers through modeling and results (Rogers, 2003). By focusing on those who are ready, you create visible proof of success and avoid wasting energy on resistance.

So find your goers. Show up for them. And trust that the ripple effect will come.


Leadership research backs this up: early adopters of instructional change influence their peers more effectively than mandates ever could. By focusing on those who are ready, you create visible proof of success and avoid wasting energy on resistance (Rogers, 2003).


Final Thoughts: Every Teacher Is a Language Teacher

We can't afford to silo language support. Our English learners are in every classroom, every day—and so the responsibility for their language development must be shared.

The solution isn't to make content teachers into ESL teachers. It’s to give them the tools to integrate language into what they already do well. With the right PD—built on data, teacher voice, peer modeling, planning time, and gradual implementation—content teachers won’t just tolerate training. They’ll be grateful for it.


Because every teacher wants their students to succeed. We just need to show them how.


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