Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is home to one of the most linguistically diverse student populations in the country, and data tells a powerful story about the benefits of bilingualism.

Did you know that MNPS exited over 1900 students from EL services in 2024–25? Historically, once students have exited English Learner (EL) services, many have gone on to excel academically across the district. Former EL students have successfully taken Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Honors and Dual Enrollment Courses, and some have even become the valedictorians and salutatorians of their graduating class. These achievements highlight the academic strengths that multilingual students bring to their learning.

This aligns with national trends: bilingual students often show enhanced problem-solving abilities, stronger executive functioning, and increased mental flexibility. In MNPS, these strengths translate into real outcomes—academic achievement, persistence, and leadership.

These findings were recently shared and discussed at a meeting of the English Learners Collaborative, where partners had the chance to dig into the data, reflect on implications, and explore how deeper coordination can further support multilingual learners and their families. If you or your organization would like to join this collaborative work, please reach out to Nathan Shulman (nathan@alignmentnashville.org) for more information.