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"Multilingual learners are students with a primary or home language other than English who are in the process of acquiring English. They bring many valuable assets with them to school, and high-quality programs for multilingual learners leverage those assets through individualized supports and equitable academic opportunities. Students who are multilingual learners receive English language development services from teachers who specialize in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), as well as supports throughout their instructional day provided by all of their teachers."
-ME DOE
Handout Interpretation Request (1).pdfCivil Rights
Civil Rights
Multilingual learners have the right to receive English language acquisition services from a qualified ESOL teacher.
Families with limited English proficiency (regardless if their student receives language acquisition services) have the right to understand their student's educational documents and the right to an interpreter to communicate with the school.
"A Lau Plan, named after the landmark Lau v. Nichols U.S. Supreme Court Decision of 1974, is an equal access plan that protects students who are multilingual learners (MLs). All Maine SAUs are required to have a board-approved Lau Plan."
-ME DOE
2 Essential Components for Equitable Services*
2 Essential Components for Equitable Services*
English Language Development
English Language Development
Meaningful Access To Content
Meaningful Access To Content
Based on WIDA ELD standards for language development (listening, speaking, reading, and writing across content areas)
Services provided by certified English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers
Individual Language Acquisition Plans (ILAPs) are created to meet each student's language development needs
Aims to obtain English language proficiency in least amount of time
Based on core content standards and planned to support academic language development
Linguistic accommodations and scaffolds enable access to high-quality grade-level content and rigor
Provided by trained content area teachers in collaboration with ESOL teachers
*Adapted from Washington State's "Meeting the Civil Rights Requirements for Multilingual Learners"
Based on Statutes & Guidance
• ESSA Title III Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students
• Lau v. Nichols US Supreme Court 1974
• Castañeda v. Pickard US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals 1981
Identification of Multilingual Learners
Identification of Multilingual Learners
LUS Decision Tree revised 6-13-23.pdfPage updated
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