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Nationality Act 1839
Ohio takes the lead in bilingual education by providing legislation that allows students who are not native English speakers to obtain a quality education their native language while also learning English. This affected the large German population that immigrated to Ohio in the 19th century. Cincinatti, Ohio was the first city to open a biligual German-English program in the state. -
Louisiana Follows suit
Louisiana uses Ohio legislation as a guide to create bilingual education for French speaking students who were living in portions of Louisiana during this time. Lousiana opened programs throughout the state to help French speaking students obtain education in their own laguage while transitioning into fluency in English. French-English programs became the norm in Louisiana public schools -
Native Americans Prohibited from learning in native language
The United States Congress passes legislation to prohibit the use of Native language for Native American students in reservation schools. Native American students were not allowed to use their language for education or communication. This legislation was enacted prior to World War I and remained in place for decades. -
New Mexico provides instruction in Spanish
New Mexico determined that they too would follow Ohio and Louisiana by providing legislation that would put bilingual education for Spanish speaking learners into law. Spanish speaking students would obtain instruction in Spanish and gain English fluency as well. The bilingual education model used was Spanish-English, as opposed to German or French in other states who already enacted such legislation. -
Native American students forced into boarding schools
The United Sates forced Native American parents to send their students to United States created "boarding schools", where these students would learn to assimilate into American culture by only using English to learn. Students were strictly prohibited from using their native languages to communicate, even with each other. This prohibition was forced and severe consequences were known for students who did not follow the rules. -
Bennet Act of Wisconsin and Edwards Act of Illinois
Wisconsin and Illinois both create acts that push eight to fourteen year old students to perfect the three R's of reading, writing, and arithemetic, and American history in English. This is the first legislation of its kind that forces English language learners to only learn in English, thus discriminating against students who speak other languages and creating a state language concept of learning, with the state's language being English only. -
Nationality Act
United States Congress approves act that forces citizens seeking citizenship to know and speak English. In theory this law should have solved bilingual education concerns -
Native American obtain repeal
United States Congress repeals prohbition of Native American students being unable to learn in native language. However it is believed that schools illegally continued to teach Native American students in English only until the late 1940's/early 1950. Burearu of Indian Affairs under the Secreatry of Interior helped to push for such legialtion to take place on behalf of Native American students. -
National Defense Education Act
This act provided public schools with funding that would provide math, sceince, and foreign language to all students in American public schools, while also providing funding for continued learning for bilingual students and classrooms. This act provided much needed releif to struggling public schools and continued education for ELL students. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act- ESEA
This act was passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This act provided funding to public schools for essential needs of students, which also included Bilingual Education. This act was put in place during the Civil Rights era with growing immigration population. The civil liberties of the growing diverse population needed their needs met in academia and the Civil Rights era wanted to ensure that all learners were getting a quality public education. -
Title VII
Bilingual Education Act becomes federal statue under the title of ESEA title VII. This act provided funding for the Biligual Act of 1968. This act provided funds to address the needs of students who were not gaining "meaningful and effective" instruction in English and needed further assistance in meeting the needs of non-English students under the 14th ammendment. -
Lau versus Nichols Supreme Court rules in Favor of ELL
The city of San Francisco was sued by Kenny Lau, et al. in regards to not providing instruction in Chinese for 1,800 Chineses immigrant or Chinese speaking learners. San Francisco cited that all students were given the same learning resources no matter what native language they spoke, however all classroom materials and instruction were solely given in English, thus Chinses American students had no way to obtain the same education in the same manner due to limited proficiency in English. -
Plyler versus Doe Supreme Court strikes down Texas law
The USSC struck down a law that prohibited education to all learners.The Supreme Court argued that illiegal aliens under the 14th amendment were allowed to attend public schools and obtain Bilingual learning. Therefor non-citizens may receive a free and public education despite of citizeship status. -
Prop 187
Proposition 187 is introduced in California with hopes to deny services to illegal immigrants. Voters voted in favor of Proposition 187 but it was later struck down. Other states including Arizona (Prop 203) have put similar laws in place to prevent immigrants from receiving public health services and education services due to lack of citizenship -
No Child Left Behind
NCLB act required that Bilingual Education programs be fluent in English and any other language spoken in classroom. NCLB put a three year time limit on Bilingual Education programs. Students who have been in Bilingual programs for three consecutive years must begin English only education inspite of students fluency level -
State Bill 1174 to be voted upon in Januray 2016 in California
California Senator Ricardo Lara has put forth legisaltion in California to rescend the Prop 227 bill, siting that California students must be ready for the multilingual/multicultural world with biliteracy being at the helm.The Seal of Biliteracy Program was enacted in January 2012. Rescending this act will benefit California public education and provide students with stronger supports in Spanish, English, and a host of other languages. Making students biliterate and multicultural.