Danville School District ESOL program handbook contains policies and procedures that help English language learners (ELLs) attain English proficiency. The key components of the handbook include 1) the district’s legal obligations to ELLs and their parents, 2) the district’s procedures for identifying, assessing and placing students in ESOL program, 3) the district’s educational approach and curriculum, 4) the district’s methods and procedures for students exiting from ESOL program, and 5) the district’s method of evaluating the effectiveness of the ESOL program (“Danville School District ESOL Program Handbook,”2019). The remainder of this paper elaborates on how the above key components of the handbook are consistent with language policies reviewed in this course. Danville School District legal obligations to ELLs and their parents

Below are some of the legal reasons why the district has an ESOL program.

The Civil Rights of 1964, Title VI

Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating a student on color, race, or country of origin (“Danville School District ESOL Program Handbook,”2019). Since all public schools get some kind of federal funding, Title VI is applicable. In case a school does not get federal fudning, then Title VI is not applicable. This law calls on the district to address all language barriers so that ELLs can have significant access to every curricular and extracurricular program. Meaningful access means that ELLs are provided with opportunities to participate in curricular and extracurricular activities, just like native English speakers.

Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974

The Equal Educational Opportunities Act states that each district should “take appropriate action to overcome barriers that impede equal participation [of their] students in [they are] instructional programs” (“Danville School District ESOL Program Handbook,”2019). This Act forms the basis of the ESOL program. It is also consistent with bilingual language policy that calls on teachers...

Department of Justice, 2019).
Castaneda v. Pickard 1981 (5th Circuit Court)

This is a three-pronged approach to deciding whether or not a district’s program is adequate (Sutton et al., 2012). First, the alternative language program must be a legitimate experimental strategy. Second, the program and practices used by a school should be implemented effectively. Third and lastly, the program must be evaluated within a reasonable time to ensure that it is working. In case the program does not generate results, then it should be modified. This court decision forms the basis of the ESOL program. The ESOL program is based on sound educational theory, and it is evaluated annually to ensure it produces...…program is measured in terms of whether the goals of ESOL are being met. The primary goal of ESOL is to enable ELLs to attain English proficiency within a reasonable time. This goal is consistent with bilingual language policy that calls on teachers to create instructional plans that incorporate adequate time for English language development (Diaz-Rico & Weed, 2010).

The procedure for evaluation involves reviewing the procedures for identifying, assessing, and placing potential ELLs into the ESOL program, the district’s educational approach and curriculum, and procedures for exiting students. Program evaluation helps the district to comply with its obligations to ELLs and their families.

Conclusion

Danville School District ESOL program handbook is guided by various legal precedents particularly Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, the Civil Rights of 1964, Title VI, and Castaneda v. Pickard 1981 (5th Circuit Court. These laws form the basis of ESOL program. Other components of ESOL include 1) procedures for identifying, assessing, and placing potential ELLs into ESOL program, 2) components of ESOL program, 3) the criteria for exiting from ESOL program, and 4) procedures for evaluating ESOL program. The policies contained in the ESOL handbook are consistent with language policies reviewed in this course. Furthermore, the policies are also well supported. Given this fact, the handbook should be implemented as it is.…