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Brown v. Board of Education
States may not fully separate ELLs throughout their education under the image of helping them learn English. States are required to provide students with “equal educational
opportunities.” -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
ESEA funds primary and secondary education, emphasizing high standards and accountability. Funds are authorized for professional development, instructional materials, resources to support educational programs, and the promotion of parental involvement. -
The Bilingual Education Act, Title VII
Established funding in the form of grants to school districts and other eligible entities through a competitive process. This act recognized the unique educational disadvantages faced by non-
English speaking students. Since 1968 the Act has gone through 6 reauthorizations. -
Federal Court- United States v. State of Texas
A desegregation case involving an issue of discrimination and whether two school districts in Texas were providing Mexican American students an equal educational opportunity. The result; a court order eliminating discrimination on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in Texas public and charter schools. -
Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA)
Requires that each state, "take appropriate action to overcome language barriers that impede equal participation by its students in its instructional programs.” -
Supreme Court Case- Lau v. Nichols
This San Francisco case by Chinese parents led to the ruling that identical education does not translate to equal education under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This case also influenced the creation of the Office for Civil Rights and required school districts to take necessary steps to overcome educational barriers faced by non-English speakers. -
Federal Court- Serna v. Portales
Court of Appeals found that students with Spanish surnames achieved at lower levels than their Anglo peers in Portales Municipal Schools. The schools were required to implement a biligual/bicultural curriculum, re-evaluate procedures for assessing achievement, and hire biligingual professionals. -
Federal Court- Rios v. Reed
Puerto Rican parents claimed that many so-called bilingual education programs in the New York school district were not actually bilingual but primarily based on ESL. The federal court found the programs to be severely inadequate, citing a lack of trained bilingual instructors and the absence of a clearly defined curriculum. This includes clear entrance and exit standards and firm guidelines about how much instruction should be in the students' native language. -
Castaneda v. Pickard
A claim that Raymondville, Texas Independent School District's language remediation programs violated the Equal Educational Opportunities Act. This led to the creation of a set of basic standards to determine a school districts compliance with EEOA. Language programs must be 1.) based on sound educational theory, 2.) implemented effectively with adequate resources, 3.) evaluated to determine whether they are effective in helping students overcome language barriers. -
Supreme Court Case- Plyler v. Doe
The Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution ensures that states cannot deny a free public education to undocumented immigrant children. -
Federal Court- Gomez v. Illinois
The U.S Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit relied heavily on Castaneda in its decision and gave the state boards of education the power to enforce compliance with the EEOA. This helped ensure that language minority student's educational needs are met. -
No Child Left Behind
This act allocates funds to states to improve the education of limited English proficient students by assisting children to learn English and meet the rigorous state curriculum and achievement standards. Title III of NCLB includes legislation which supports limited English proficient students. -
World Class Instructional Design and Assessment- WIDA
WIDA advances academic language development and academic achievement for children and youth who are culturally and linguistically diverse through high quality standards, assessments, research, and professional learning for educators. -
Race to the Top
The United States Department of Education issued this competitive grant with the intentions to encourage innovation and reforms in state and local district K-12 education. -
Common Core State Standards
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an educational initiative that details what K–12 students should know in English language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
This Act reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.