Supporting Multilingual Learners in Mathematics: Lessons from RAND and District Leaders
On September 11, Whiteboard Advisors and RAND convened district leaders, researchers, and teacher educators for a timely conversation about how schools can better support multilingual learners (MLLs) in mathematics. The discussion built on RAND’s recent report, Lost in Translation, which found that only about half of teachers feel prepared to teach MLLs — and that principals rarely rank MLL supports as a top priority.
Despite these sobering statistics, the webinar (recording and slides) surfaced powerful insights and practices that show what’s possible when schools lead with coherence, intentionality, and heart.
Key Takeaways from the Panel
On teaching content and language together
“You’re not teaching English all day — you’re teaching content while noticing and leveraging language strengths.”— Lydia Acosta Stephens, LAUSD
On real-world application
“Real-world application transcends language. When students work on meaningful problems, academic discourse and productive struggle drive both math and language learning.”— Dr. Frances Baez, LAUSD
On culturally relevant pedagogy
“Use culturally relevant, cognitively demanding math tasks tied to students’ community knowledge. That’s how we build both rigor and relevance… In everything, start with the heart. Love first, then the math.”— Dr. Shelly Jones, Central Connecticut State University
On continuous improvement
“Every year, we realize the plan is never done. We have to keep looking at the gaps and asking if our programming is the right programming—or if systems are leaving students behind.”— Nalsy Perez, Houston ISD
Why It Matters
Multilingual learners represent one of the fastest-growing student populations in the U.S., bringing rich cultural and linguistic assets into classrooms. But without intentional systems — from curriculum design to professional learning to leadership alignment — too many students are left without the supports they need to thrive in mathematics.
As our panelists emphasized, the work is never complete. It requires leaders to reexamine priorities, teachers to build on student strengths, and districts to embed culturally responsive and linguistically sustaining practices into every aspect of math instruction.
What’s Next
This webinar was just the beginning of the conversation. RAND’s research provides a national lens on the challenge; our district leaders and teacher educators offer pathways forward. Together, their insights remind us that when schools attend to both the rigor of mathematics and the richness of students’ languages and cultures, we create classrooms where every learner can succeed.
