Bilingual Education Act of 1986

The Bilingual Education Act's purpose is to promote the learning of public school students with limited English skills. This goal is to be achieved by providing such students with instruction in their native language to ensure progress, and by gradually integrating them into an "all English instruction setting" to increase English skills.

Obligations

• To receive federal funding for such programs, states are required to submit a detailed plan to the Secretary of Education – requests will be published;
• The Secretary of Education specifies how 95% of these funds are to be used;
• Teachers from schools receiving funding must be fluent in English;
• Teachers must perform annual proficiency testing of students;
• The program must be scientifically-based;
• Results of annual testing must include factors such as class, gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Evaluations must compare students in the program to proficient students in the areas of reading, English, and math;
• Every 2 years, local agencies and states must report on the progress of the program to the Secretary of Education – the Secretary may reject future funding if the program does not meet requirements;
• Schools receiving funding must notify parents if their child is enrolled in the program, the reason(s) why, the child's level of proficiency, the method(s) of instruction, and exit requirements;
• Schools must inform parents if the school fails to meet progress requirements;
• Schools may not exclude or enroll students in the program based on surname or minority status.

See the statute here.

Click here to see the Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students (OELA) website.

Declaration of Rights for Parents of English Language Learners: in English; in Spanish.

Click here to read the Title III Tool Kit, here to find Resources for Parents, and here to learn more on Language Rights.