ENGLISH LEARNERS

  • Federal Law

    The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), together with the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), is charged with the responsibility of enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin. In Lau v. Nichols, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the U.S. Department of Education’s May 25, 1970, memorandum that directed Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to take steps to help Multilingual Learners (MLs) overcome language barriers and to ensure that they can participate meaningfully in the educational programs.

    Title III

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title III, Part A provides supplemental financial assistance to states and eligible LEAs to develop and enhance their capacity to provide high-quality instructional programs designed to prepare Multilingual Learners and immigrant children and youth to enter English instructional settings. Among “the purposes of this part [Part A] are to help ensure that children who are English Learners, including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, and meet the same challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet.”

    Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP)

    The Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP)/English as a Second Language (ESL) program seeks to help Multilingual Learners attain English proficiency and achieve at high levels in such core academic subjects as math and literacy by providing amplified instruction in English language skills. Students who speak a language at home other than, or in addition to, English will be administered the state English language proficiency test. LIEP services are provided for those students who qualify based on the test. Additionally, students who qualify may be eligible to receive accommodations on state and local assessments. Each school in CMS has an LIEP program to support students with English language needs. Participation in LIEP does not exclude students from participation in any other CMS offering, including school choice programs or sports. School enrollment and screening for academic English language support is available through the Learning and Language Acquisition Department.

    For more information, please contact:

    Learning and Language Acquisition (LLA) Department
    4421 Stuart Andrew Blvd., Suite 350
    Charlotte, NC 28217
    Courier #835A
    980-343-0432