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14th Amendment to the US Constitution
An Amendment added to the US Constitution that, among other important things, enshrines the educational rights of language minority students. -
Meyer v. Nebraska Decision
A US Supreme Court decision that found a 1919 Nebraska State law restricting foreign language education was in violation of the 14th Amendment. Nebraska's Siman Act imposed restrictions on foreign languages as a subject of study. Robert T. Meyer, an educator teaching German, appealed to the Supreme Court. The court ruled in favor of Meyer stating: "His right to teach and the right of parents to engage him so to instruct their children, we think, are within the liberty of the amendment." -
Farrington v. Tokushige Decision
A decision made by the US Supreme Court that struck down a law in the Territory of Hawaii that made it illegal for schools to teach foreign languages without a permit. It was found that the law violated the Fifth Amendment (rather than the 14th Amendment, since Hawaii was still a US Territory). -
Brown v. Board of Education Decision
Civil Rights decision made by the US Supreme Court that ended segregation, making it clear that ELs cannot be fully separated from other students throughout their education under the guise of helping them learn English. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Specifically, Title IV encouraged the desegregation of public schools, and Title VI prevented discrimination by government agencies that receive federal funds. -
Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
A Federal law signed by President Lyndon S. Johnson that funds primary and secondary education, sets high standards and accountability for a student's education, and reinforces access to an equal education. The act funds education for professional development, instructional materials, and resources to support educational programs. -
Bilingual Education Act (Title VII of ESEA)
The first US Federal Legislation to recognize the needs of students with a limited English speaking ability. This act, introduced by Senator Ralph Yarborough, made the federal government recognize the need for and value of bilingual education programs in education. It provided schools with federal funds to create education programs for EL students. Law until it was replaced by Title III of No Child Left Behind in 2002. -
Lau v. Nichols Decision
Civil Rights decision made by the US Supreme Court. Chinese American students with Limited English Proficiency in San Francisco were thrown into general education classrooms to "sink or swim." The court ruled in favor of the students, claiming students should be treated with equality among the schools. This expanded the rights of all students nationwide with limited English proficiency. -
Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA)
Codified the Lau v. Nichols decision into Federal Law. This law declares that "No State shall deny educational opportunities to an individual on account of his or her race, color, sex, or national origin by... the failure of an educational agency to take appropriate action to overcome language barriers that impede equal participation by its students in its instructional programs." -
Department of Education Organization Act
United States Federal Law enacted to create the Federal Department of Education, which strengthened the federal government's commitment to assuring access to equal educational opportunities for every individual. -
Castaneda v. Pickard Decision
A court decision in which Castaneda claimed Raymondville Independent School District in TX discriminated against his children, failing to establish sufficient bilingual education. The court ruled in favor of RISD, which established a test to determine if schools are taking appropriate action to address EL needs. Standards are: must be based on sound educational theory, must be implemented effectively with adequate resources, and must be evaluated as effective in overcoming language barriers. -
Plyler v. Doe Decision
A decision made by the US Supreme Court. It struck down a state statute denying educational funding to undocumented immigrants, as well as a school district's attempt to charge an annual $1,000 tuition fee for each student. -
Gomez v. Illinois State Board of Education
Court decision that found a State's Board of Education and School Districts are responsible for ELs education, and cannot allow them to sit in a classroom where they can't understand the instruction. Did not mandate any specific program models. Led to the creation of special programs and adequate testing to provide equal education to EL students. -
CA Prop 227
State initiative passed by voters in California that approved English for the Children initiative placing severe restrictions on bilingual education programs in the State. -
Flores v. Arizona
Court decision that was eventually decided by the Supreme Court. The decision found that the State's methods and level of funding EL programs was "arbitrary and capricious". Ordered the level of state funding for ELL programs should bear a rational relationship to the cost of those programs. -
AZ Prop 203
State initiative passed by voters in Arizona that approved English for the Children initiative placing severe restrictions on bilingual education programs in the State. -
World-class Instructional Design & Assessment (WIDA)
A State consortium convened to develop common English language proficiency standards and assessments to comply with Title III of No Child Left Behind. WIDA also provides educators with professional development. -
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
Signed into law by President George W. Bush. Reauthorizes ESEA and created a standards-based education system req. assessments for funding. Title I ensures all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain high-quality education. Also replaced Bilingual Education Act with Title III "Language Instruction for LEP and Immigrant Students" creating no distinction between bilingual and non-bilingual programs, requiring ELs to be placed in "language instruction education programs." -
MA Question 2
State initiative passed by voters in Massachusetts that approved English for the Children initiative placing severe restrictions on bilingal education programs in the State. -
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
A Federal Stimulus Package signed into law by President Barrack Obama that included $44 billion for education. Also includes the Race To The Top (RTTT) program, which included $4 billion in grants for States to begin education reform efforts. -
Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS)
A State Level educational initiative created to determine what students should know in English Language Arts and Mathematics by the end of each school grade. The CCSS do not specifically address ELs, but does include specific language standards and are designed to develop the "academic language" skills of all students. -
Elementary & Secondary Education Act Flexibility
As a result of unrealistic standards proposed by the No Child Left Behind Act, the US Department of Education allowed States to apply for waivers to grant flexibility for the accountability required by NCLB. -
California Establishes the Seal of Biliteracy
California becomes the first state to establish the Seal of Biliteracy which officially recognizes the bilingual skills of graduating High School students on their diplomas. -
World-class Instructional Design & Assessment Amplification
Revisions made to WIDA standards to comply with member States that received ESEA Flexibility or adopted the CCSS to have English Language proficiency standards that correspond with college and career-ready standards. -
English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21)
A State-led consortium that was created and awarded a $6.3 million federal grant for the creation of a common computer-based English language proficiency assessment based on the English Language Proficiency Standards developed by WestEd and aligned with the CCSS. -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
US Federal law signed by President Barack Obama. This law reauthorized ESEA. It also replaced NCLB but did not eliminate provisions relating to standardized tests given to students. ESSA requires states to create a process to identify ELs, assign them the support they need, and eventually move them out of EL classes and into general education.
