Meeting the needs of English learners with disabilities: virtual, hybrid, and returning to inperson instruction

Oct 15, 2026

Guidance for educators and state education agencies on supporting English learners with disabilities across virtual, hybrid, and post-distance-learning in-person instruction. It explains why distance learning contexts require coordinated language, academic, functional, and socio-emotional supports, and it emphasizes collaboration with families and students. The document organizes example resources into four topic areas and provides guiding questions to assess needs, translate materials, use assistive technology, adapt accommodations and IEP supports, and collect reliable data while accounting for distance learning contexts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Supporting learning for ELs with disabilities

Serving ELs through distance learning

Serving students with disabilities through distance learning

Engaging families or caregivers

Guiding Questions and Considerations for Supporting ELs with Disabilities During or After Distance Learning

Understanding All Areas of Need

Collaborating to Provide Integrated Supports

Meeting the needs of English learners with disabilities: virtual, hybrid, and returning to inperson instruction When the pandemic forced many schools to transition to virtual or hybrid learning, educators often struggled to meet the language and learning needs of the diverse population of English learners (ELs) with disabilities .1 Although many schools are in the process of returning to school, distance learning (including virtual and hybrid learning contexts) may continue or be needed again, whether due to the pandemic or other causes such as natural disasters . Further, state education agencies (SEAs), districts, and schools may seek to strengthen supports and foster learning recovery for ELs with disabilities as they return to in-person instruction. Thus, NCSI has compiled guidance and resources that may be helpful for educators and SEAs supporting districts and schools in serving these students. Because there are few resources that specifically address distance learning for ELs with disabilities, 2 we compiled example resource lists 3 on four topics: 1. Supporting learning for ELs with disabilities (p. 5) , 2. Serving ELs through distance learning (p. 6), 3. Serving students with disabilities through distance learning (p. 8), and 4. Engaging families or caregivers who have children who are ELs’ (p. 9) . Information from each of these topics will support serving ELs with disabilities during distance learning, but they are not enough in isolation. We must consider the whole student within his or her home, school, and community. Thus, we begin with considerations and guiding questions that pull these topics together to serve ELs with disabilities during distance learning or returning to in-person instruction following distance learning (p. 2) . State and local leaders can share this document, 1 Throughout this document, we use the common terms‘English learner’ and‘students with disabilities.’ Note that other terms, including some using person-first language, may be used to describe the same groups of students. For example, ELs may be referred to as multilingual learners or students who are bilingual, and students with disabilities may be referred to as students who are differently abled. Whatever terms you use, we encourage you to ensure they are understood by all parties. 2 One example is the Massachusetts Department of Education’s guidance document on Serving English Learners with Disabilities During In-Person, Hybrid and Remote Learning. 3 NCSI does not endorse any resource but seeks to disseminate information and show the kinds of resources SEAs, schools, and educators may find helpful. or specific resources or sections in this document, with educators to inform their practice . Guiding Questions and Considerations for Supporting ELs with Disabilities During or After Distance Learning As you plan for supporting ELs with disabilities, we encourage you to start with best practices that are likely to work (as reflected in this section and in the example resource lists), check if they are working for that student, and adjust the strategies as needed in collaboration with families (and the student, when appropriate) . Examples of guiding questions teams might ask themselves include the following, organized into two broad areas: 1) understanding all areas of need and 2) collaborating to provide integrated supports. Understanding All Areas of Need • Are we considering all areas of need: academic, functional, language, and social/emotional/behavioral? o Have we considered what the student knows and can do in all languages the child uses to communicate? Students may not have a single dominant language and may use different languages across social groups, settings, or topics. o What educational materials need to be translated so the student can effectively participate in instructional activities? Who will provide the translations and when? o How does the student use assistive technology, both at

FAQs

Why does the guidance stress supporting ELs with disabilities during and after distance learning?

Educators often struggle to meet the language and learning needs of ELs with disabilities in virtual or hybrid settings. The guidance is intended to strengthen supports and support learning recovery as students return to in-person instruction, since distance learning may continue or recur.

What are the four resource topics the document compiles?

The document compiles example resource lists on four topics: supporting learning for ELs with disabilities, serving ELs through distance learning, serving students with disabilities through distance learning, and engaging families or caregivers of children who are ELs.

Which guiding questions help teams understand all areas of need?

Teams are encouraged to consider academic, functional, language, and social/emotional/behavioral needs, including translation needs, assistive technology use at school and at home, and feedback on strengths and weaknesses from students, families, and educators.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Alex Sinclair