Minnesota Legal Services Coalition Fact Sheet 4 July 2011

English Language Learners:
Your Right to Equal Education

English Language Learners (ELL), also called English as a Second Language (ESL), have the right to equal opportunities at school. This means there are rules about how a school has to help these students be successful in the classroom.

How do schools have to help students that do not know English?

A school has to

· Identify students that need English language classes.

· Have an ELL program that has proven to work and helps the students succeed.

· Hire or train staff to work with ELL students.

· Evaluate the program and make changes if the students are not meeting goals.

· Help students learn English and meet the same state standards that all students have to meet.

What is a school’s responsibility to the parents?

The school has to

· Find a way to talk to parents in their own language and find ways for them to be a part of their children’s education.

· Let parents know within 10 days when their child is identified as an ELL student.

· Describe the services offered to the parents and the goals a student needs to meet to complete the program. The school also has to let parents know that they have the right to refuse these services.

· Let parents know if the program for ELL students does not meet the yearly goals.

Schools CANNOT

· Separate ELL students from other students for a large part of the school day.

· Refuse to let ELL students into enrichment programs or college preparatory courses.

· Separate ELL students into low or vocational tracks permanently.

Developed in collaboration with the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services Education Law Project.

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