U.S. Department of Education

Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development

Policy and Program Studies Service 

Results in Brief:

Supporting English Learners through Technology: What Districts and

Teachers Say about Digital Learning Resources for English Learners

May 2019

English learners (ELs) are one of the fastest growing student demographics in the United States, and are a diverse group, representing 

over 400 different language backgrounds. In the 2015–16 school year, there were 4.8 million EL students in grades K–12 in U.S. public 

schools, accounting for 10 percent of all enrolled students. Also, over past decades, grade K–12 teachers in public schools have gained 

increased access to computers and digital technology for instruction, and many report using digital learning resources (DLRs) to 

enhance and differentiate their students’ language and content area instruction. This Results in Brief describes findings from a national 

study of how districts and teachers are using Digital Learning Resources (DLRs) for instructing EL students. In addition, the study 

developed two toolkits for practitioners, one to inform educators about the range of DLRs that are available and considerations for 

using DLRs to support their EL students, and one to assist educational technology developers in improving the usefulness of DLRs for 

instructing EL students. 

STUDY QUESTIONS

1. How do districts and teachers identify DLRs for 

instructing EL students?

2. What types of DLRs do teachers use and how do they use 

DLRs in instructing EL students? 

3. What are supports for and barriers to DLR use in 

instructing EL students? 

4. How can educators and technology developers improve 

the usefulness of DLRs in instruction of EL students?

STUDY DESIGN AND LIMITATIONS

The study collected data during the 2016─17 school year 

through a nationally representative survey of districts that 

enrolled EL students, a teacher survey that included both 

mainstream teachers and EL specialists, and case studies of 

six districts to provide more in-depth information about 

district and teacher practices. The district survey sample 

included 999 public school districts, stratified by level of ELstudent representation in the district (high-EL, moderate-EL, 

and low-EL districts). The purposive case study sample 

included 12 schools within six districts that varied in the 

number and percentage of EL students enrolled. 

The findings describe data based on survey responses from 

767 districts and 706 teachers, and qualitative data from 65

case study interviews with district administrators, principals, 

and teachers of EL students. 

The final teacher sample included both randomly selected 

teachers and teachers selected by principals. Roughly half of 

the responding teachers were randomly sampled. However, 

many schools did not provide rosters of teachers of EL 

students; at these schools, principals were asked to select 

teachers of EL students to take the survey. While the 

principal-selected teachers responded similarly to the 

randomly selected teachers, these data are not nationally 

representative and should be interpreted with caution. 

Highlights

• Most teachers surveyed reported that they identified 

specific DLRs for instructing EL students based on the 

recommendations of fellow teachers and district or 

school administrators. 

• Teachers were more likely to report weekly or daily use 

of general education DLRs than of DLRs designed 

primarily for EL students (85 percent vs. 65 percent). 

• About two-thirds of teachers surveyed reported using 

digital references and resources, language tutorials or

practice tools, and academic tutorials or practice tools

weekly or daily in instructing their EL students. 

• The majority of teachers reported that EL students often 

used DLRs when working independently (61 percent) or 

as part of a whole class activity (60 percent); few 

teachers reported assigning EL students to use DLRs

outside of class.

• High-EL districts were more likely than low-EL districts to 

report providing professional development workshops, 

coaching, and in-class assistance related to DLR use in 

instructing EL students. 

• Across all districts, EL specialists reported fewer hours of 

professional development in DLR use than did 

mainstream teachers. 

• Frequently reported barriers to using DLRs with EL 

students were students’ lack of DLR access at home, and 

teachers’ needs for EL and technology expertise and for 

time to learn and use DLRs.

• Educators suggested that DLRs could improve by 

engaging students in academic content while building 

language and literacy skills; embedding visual, auditory, 

and other support features; providing multiple 

languages; and providing grade-level content and ageappropriate design for older beginner-level EL students.
IDENTIFYING DLRS FOR EL STUDENTS

Surveyed teachers most commonly reported that they 

identified specific DLRs for instructing EL students based on 

the recommendations of fellow teachers (91 percent) and 

district or school administrators (86 percent). 

Other frequently reported sources were district professional 

development sessions (74 percent); online searches 

(73 percent); technology coaches or specialists (69 percent); 

and the school’s EL specialist (65 percent).

Most districts reported using teacher requests as a source 

for identifying DLRs for EL students. 

Districts reported using requests from classroom teachers 

(81 percent) and EL specialists (78 percent) to identify some 

or most DLRs for EL students. Other sources were district and 

school administrators and committees. 

High-EL districts were more likely than low-EL districts to 

report considering certain support features such as visual 

and auditory supports, as very important when selecting 

DLRs for use in instructing EL students. 

For example, DLRs may use images or video to help students 

understand new words and content. Audio supports include 

text-to-speech features that enable students to hear a text. 

Ninety-one percent of districts reported providing language 

tutorials or practice DLRs for EL students specifically.

Also, most districts reported that they provided DLRs for EL 

students that were references and resources (84 percent), 

translation tools (80 percent), academic tutorials or practice 

tools (79 percent), and presentation tools (79 percent). 

USE OF DLRS IN INSTRUCTING EL STUDENTS 

Eighty-five percent of teachers who instructed EL students 

reported using DLRs in their EL students’ instruction. 

There were no significant differences between mainstream 

teachers and EL specialists regarding DLR use for EL students. 

Teachers were more likely to report weekly or daily use of 

general education DLRs than of DLRs designed primarily for 

EL students (85 percent vs. 65 percent).

In case study interviews, some mainstream teachers 

explained they often used general education DLRs, rather 

than DLRs designed for EL students, in order to not single out 

the EL students. 

Teachers most commonly reported weekly or daily use of

digital references and resources, language tutorials or 

practice tools, and academic tutorials or practice tools (60 to 

65 percent). 

About half (45 to 48 percent) reported presentation DLRs, 

general websites, and information organization DLRs. 

The majority of teachers reported that EL students used 

DLRs often when working independently (61 percent) or in a 

whole class activity (60 percent); few reported assigning EL 

students to use DLRs outside of class. 

Forty-five percent of teachers reported that EL students often 

used DLRs when working in pairs or groups that included both

EL students and English speakers, and 40 percent reported 

they used DLRs often in pairs or groups of EL students only. 

Teachers were least likely to report assigning EL students to 

use DLRs to continue learning outside of class (16 percent) or

at home with a family member (10 percent). 

SUPPORTS AND BARRIERS TO USE OF DLRS FOR 

INSTRUCTING EL STUDENTS 

High-EL districts were more likely than low-EL districts to 

report providing workshops, coaching, and in-class 

assistance related to DLR use in instructing EL students. 

For example, high-EL districts were more likely to provide 

workshops on a specific DLR (72 percent vs. 36 percent), and 

on integrating DLRs in instruction (60 percent vs. 30 percent).

Across all districts, EL specialists reported receiving fewer 

hours of professional development in DLR use than did 

mainstream teachers. 

During the three-year period from 2014–15 to 2016–17, 

84 percent of EL specialists reported receiving 10 or fewer 

hours of professional development related to DLR use, 

compared with 47 percent of mainstream teachers.

Barriers to using DLRs with EL students that were most 

frequently reported by teachers were students’ lack of 

access to DLRs at home, time to learn to use DLRs, and time 

to set up or troubleshoot DLRs.

About four out of five teachers reported these barriers. Other 

reported barriers were time to find DLRs, lack of knowledge 

of DLRs, costs, and need for training on how to use DLRs. 

The barriers to using DLRs with EL students most frequently 

reported by districts were students’ lack of home access to 

DLRs, teachers’ needs for expertise in instructing EL 

students, teachers’ level of technology skills, and lack of 

knowledge of DLRs appropriate for EL students. 

Eighty percent or more of districts indicated these were 

barriers to DLR use to some extent or to a large extent. 

RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE DLRS FOR 

INSTRUCTING EL STUDENTS 

Districts and teachers provided ideas on how developers 

and educators could improve the usefulness of DLRs.

Educators suggested that technology developers design DLRs 

to engage students in academic content while building 

language and literacy skills; embed visual, auditory, and other 

support features; provide supports in multiple languages; and 

provide grade-level content and age-appropriate design for 

older beginner-level EL students. Some teachers suggested 

“read-aloud” features, supports in students’ home languages, 

and videos or other visuals to show vocabulary and concepts. 

Educators also recommended that district leaders provide 

greater access to opportunities to learn about DLRs and how 

to use them for teaching EL students.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The complete report and toolkits are available online: 

www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html#ells