Massachusetts Needs an Actionable Strategy to Expand ESOL Services
July 2024
Adults with limited English skills comprise one-tenth of the commonwealth’s workforce. This makes English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services key to the Massachusetts economy. While the field is innovating to increase access and improve the delivery of these services, state and federal funding has declined considerably over the past two decades, relative to the growing need. Produced in partnership with MassINC, this study catalogs the potential benefits of increasing public investment in ESOL and offers guidance on how Massachusetts can develop an actionable strategy to make high-quality ESOL services broadly available to residents throughout the commonwealth.
