The typical public school classroom is more diverse, linguistically and ethnically, than 20 years ago, with a dramatic increase in the proportion of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. This pattern is reflected in secondary as well as elementary schools. Research indicates many of these students are at risk of failure or dropping out. A telephone survey of 33 state education agency bilingual education directors revealed a number of areas in which barriers to LEP student progress occur. These include: limited access to the core curriculum because of limited language skills; lack of native language literacy skills; isolation in rural areas; dearth of counselors with appropriate language skills or training in evaluating foreign educational credentials; limited instructional materials at the secondary school level; and outdated English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) methodology. Practices that hold promise for addressing these problems include: team teaching to improve access to content areas; parent outreach; use of interactive technology to support native language and ESL instruction; and temporary English teaching certificates for teachers who are bilingual and have content knowledge. Additional recommendations include: linking these changes with overall reform initiatives; modifying teacher training; allowing LEP secondary students extra time to attain credits for graduation; and more local responsibility for inservice teacher training. (MSE)