CLAD Language Policy and Legal Frameworks

Question 1

Which landmark 1974 Supreme Court case established that providing identical English-only instruction to non-English-speaking students does not constitute equal education?

Accepted Answer

Lau v. Nichols

Answer

Castañeda v. Pickard

Answer

Plyer v. Doe

Answer

Brown v. Board of Education

Question 2

The Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) of 1974 requires school districts to take 'appropriate action' to:

Accepted Answer

Overcome language barriers that impede ELL students' equal participation in educational programs

Answer

Provide native-language instruction until students are fully English proficient

Answer

Hire at least one bilingual teacher for every 20 ELL students enrolled

Answer

Administer annual assessments in both English and the student's native language

Question 3

The three-part test established in Castañeda v. Pickard (1981) requires that ELL programs be:

Accepted Answer

Based on sound educational theory, effectively implemented, and producing measurable results

Answer

Staffed by certified bilingual teachers, fully funded, and government-approved

Answer

Supported by parents, compliant with state law, and culturally responsive

Answer

Offered in both native language and English with equal instructional time

Question 4

Plyer v. Doe (1982) is important for ELL policy because the Supreme Court ruled that:

Accepted Answer

Undocumented immigrant children have a constitutional right to a free public education

Answer

States must provide bilingual education through 8th grade for all ELL students

Answer

Schools may charge tuition to undocumented students for enrollment in public schools

Answer

Federal funding may be withheld from districts that enroll undocumented students

Question 5

Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) held school districts primarily accountable for:

Accepted Answer

The English language proficiency gains and academic achievement of ELL students

Answer

Ensuring ELL students graduated at the same rate as native English-speaking peers

Answer

Hiring only state-certified bilingual teachers for all ELL instructional settings

Answer

Providing a minimum of four hours of language instruction per day for ELL students

Question 6

The 'sink or swim' approach to ELL instruction — placing students in English-only classrooms with no language support — was most directly challenged by:

Accepted Answer

Lau v. Nichols and subsequent OCR guidelines requiring meaningful language support

Answer

The Bilingual Education Act of 1968, which mandated native-language instruction

Answer

California Proposition 227, which replaced bilingual education with structured immersion

Answer

The Americans with Disabilities Act, which required accommodations for language learners

Question 7

Which federal office is primarily responsible for investigating complaints and enforcing civil rights protections for ELL students in public schools?

Accepted Answer

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the U.S. Department of Education

Answer

The National Institute for Literacy

Answer

The Office of Language Minority Affairs at the Department of Justice

Answer

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition