Bilingual+Education+Act

Back to Legislation The Bilingual Education Act was the first federal legislation to address the unique educational needs of students with limited English-speaking ability (later called “limited English proficient”). It set the stage for further legislation regarding equality of educational opportunity for language minorities. In 1967, concerned about the academic performance and attainment ofSpanish-speaking children, Senator Ralph Yarborough of Texas proposed a bill that would provide assistance to schools serving large populations of Spanish-speaking children. The bill would eventually be passed as an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and became officially known as the Bilingual Education Act of 1968. The act in its final form addressed the needs of any child of “limited English-speaking ability” (section 702). Through federal grants, assistance would be provided to school districts that wished to develop bilingual education programs. Funds could be used for program development and research, staff training, and educational resources. Schools serving high populations of low-income children were to be the primary beneficiaries. The goal was to encourage school districts to incorporate native language instruction. Participation was voluntary, and the government refrained from providing specific guidelines with regard to the types of programs to be developed. ||
 * [[image:Bilingual Education Act.jpg width="427" height="350"]] || ==**Bilingual Education Act**==
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