The political and educational rationales for bilingual education in the United States and the implications of transitional and maintenance programs are examined. Following a period of adherence to English-only instruction which resulted in academic failure for minority children, support grew for the concept of bilingual education. The provisions of the 1968 Bilingual Education Act, the revised Act of 1974, the Lau versus Nichols decision, and the Lau regulations are described. The underlying assumptions, goals, and methodologies of transitional and maintenance bilingual education are compared. Transitional bilingual education utilizes native language instruction only as a remedial approach to the learning of English, while maintenance bilingual education recognizes the value of minority students' cultural and linguistic resources and seeks to develop skills in two languages. Although the transitional and maintenance models are similar in their goals and methodology, their underlying philosophies are mutually exclusive. In conclusion, it is important to determine which aspects of each model are most beneficial to the student and implement the most effective combined approach. A list of references is appended. (RW)