Source: Office of Civil Rights: United States Department of Education
What is the federal authority requiring districts to address the needs of English language learners?
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. In Lau v. Nichols, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the Department of Education memorandum of May 25, 1970, which directed school districts to take steps to help limited-English proficient (LEP) students overcome language barriers and to ensure that they can participate meaningfully in the district's educational programs
What does this mean for content area teachers?
Teachers must modify and accommodate for the specific needs of the ESL students in their class. No ESL student should fail due to lack of English proficiency. PLEASE contact me for specifics about this at kleslie@marsd.org. I am happy to assist in these modifications and accommodations as well as meet with content teachers to create units of study appropriate to the proficiency levels of your students.