A consent decree which grew out of a court case brought against the New York City Board of Education by Aspira, a Puerto Rican community agency, resulted in many changes in policies affecting the education of children of limited English-speaking ability in New York City schools, particularly during the two years following the signing of the agreement in 1974. This study (1) analyzes the complexity of institutions and forces that were involved in determining language-of-instruction policies and practices in New York city public schools prior to the suit, (2) places within a historical framework the efforts of Aspira and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF) to change language of instruction policies, (3) reconstructs the issues regarding the education of children of limited English-speaking ability raised during the suit's litigation, and (4) summarizes the impact of the consent decree on specific policies related to the implementation of the bilingual program which was stipulated, including policies regarding minimum educational standards, language assessment and grouping, personnel, finance, and parental rights. (Author/EB)