The "Lau v. Nichols" ruling shows the importance of tailoring programs for local multilingual learners. We used longitudinal data from one school district in California to assess the relationship between attending a school with a language support program and English language arts (ELA) achievement. We found that students labeled an…

Title I accountability requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) represent the present-day instantiation of Lau, which requires schools to provide a program for English learners (ELs) that supports their meaningful engagement and to provide transparent information about EL program quality. This study uses critical policy analysis to…

Educators in economically and racially segregated schools enact subgroup entitlement policies, such as Title III and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), as they negotiate the diverse and underserved needs throughout the student body. How do subgroup entitlement policies for English learners and students with disabilities shape…

As the American Psychological Association and Division 15 committed to addressing systemic racism after the 2020 summer of racial reckoning, orchestrated political attacks that vilify pedagogical approaches aimed at addressing racial injustice have thwarted schools' efforts across the nation. Against this context, the overarching aim of this…

Although current and former English Learner (EL) or "ever-EL" students comprise one of the fastest-growing K-12 populations, we still know relatively little about the factors that influence their college-going. Using Perna's seminal college-going model as a launching point, we propose a policy-driven empirical approach to explore how…

Little research currently examines language instruction educational programs (LIEPs) in states with a more recent growth of the Latino English learner population. To meet this need, the authors examined the content each of the state LIEPs, focusing chiefly on the extent to which the types of language support, as well as the stipulations associated…

This article examines the role of language policies in mediating access and equity in education. By examining a range of research and case studies on language policies, the authors explore how educational language policies serve as a central gatekeeper to education itself, as well as to quality education that may fundamentally depend on language…

In the Horne v Flores Supreme Court decision of June 25, 2009, the Court wrote that one basis for finding Arizona in compliance with federal law regarding the education of its English learners was that the state had adopted a "significantly more effective" than bilingual education instructional model for EL students --Structured…

This guide is designed as a reference for District and School personnel working with English learners (ELs). The content of the guide represents a compilation of information, examples, and resources. This guide is a living document and subject to frequent updates. It is recommended to review the document online rather than printing a hard copy.

In 1978 a controversial evaluation found no difference in achievement between Hispanic students in transitional bilingual programs and those in regular classroom programs. The authors present an argument favoring the use of stuctured immersion programs instead of bilingual programs. (MD)

Lau vs Nichols is a 1974 Supreme Court decision which charged that the San Francisco Unified School District had denied equal educational opportunity to non-English-speaking students by failing to provide them with any special language instruction. The court decision was based on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which provides against…

This collection of short articles focuses on bilingual education for Hispanics. The lead article cites statistics concerning the education of Hispanics, the segregation of Hispanics in schools, and the educational level they are likely to attain. The second article presents a historical perspective on bilingual education in American schools and…

This paper updates cases, legal concerns, and educational practices relating to bilingual/bicultural education since the case of Lau v. Nichols was decided. Lau v. Nichols was a class action suit in which it was argued that education had been denied to Chinese-speaking children because English was the only language spoken in the public schools in…

Argues that integration and bilingual education are compatible and that, for a bilingual program to be constitutional, it should be both optional and open to all students. Available from University of Pennsylvania Law School, 3400 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; sc $3.00. (Author/IRT)

School desegregation can no longer continue to be an exclusive black and white issue. With demographers predicting that Hispanics will be the largest minority in the U.S. at the turn of the century, educators are facing the difficult challenge of integrating this minority into the mainstream of American education. Despite a quarter century of…