ARIZONA ASSOCIATION FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION

	Plyler v. Doe: Educational Rights of the Undocumented Student
	Learning English in the News April 24, 2008 Arizona Daily Star English mandates are found challenging A state audit released Wednesday found that school districts will have to make big changes to comply with new requirements for teaching the state's 138,000 students who aren't proficient in English. School officials, particularly those in rural areas, told auditors that they lacked the space and staffing to comply with the new mandates, which kick in after students return from summer break and which require four hours a day of separate instruction to help English learners develop English skills. April 18, 2008 Capitol Media Services States English-learner appeal rejected by court PHOENIX — Arizona cannot limit additional aid to students to help them learn English to just two years, a federal appeals court affirmed Thursday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments by attorneys for Republican legislative leaders and state school superintendent Tom Horne that they can limit how long Arizona taxpayers have to finance the programs designed to teach English.   Do undocumented children in the public school system have educational rights?   Arizona ELL Court Decisions and Documents Flores Consent from the United States District Court-District of Arizona 9th Circuit Court Decision Flores (PDF) Arizona Department of Education Click here for Parental Waiver Application Click here for the AZ English Aquisition Services link AZ Revised Ed Statutes for ELLs Article 3.1 Attorney General Opinions Regarding Prop 203 - July 2003: Re:Application of Proposition 203 toCharter Schools I03-002 (R03-010) ......PDF Format Re:Guidelines Governing Waivers from English Immersion Programs I03-001 (R03-014) ......PDF Format U.S. Department of Education Office of English Language Acquisition LATEST U.S.A. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PRESS RELEASES You are visitor:	AABE Mission Statement     It is the conviction of the Arizona Association for Bilingual Education that in a multilingual and multicultural country such as ours, languages are the most obvious cultural characteristic of its people. The Arizona Association for Bilingual Education further believes that bilingual education comprises a crucially important part of the total educational process in the United States. They commit themselves to promoting bilingual education as a concept of the highest priority. The Arizona Association for Bilingual Education regards as its primary goal the promotion of student achievement and success in the educational process. This is achieved by utilizing and developing proficiency in two languages, one of which is English.       MORE AABE Website Links:   Do undocumented children in the public school system have educational rights? A GUIDE TO STUDENT LANGUAGE RIGHTS IN ARIZONA SCHOOLS What are the most spoken languages in the world? Learning languages online with the BBC

Arizona Debate continues... (Point mouse on scroll to stop) ACTION UPDATES FOR 2008... IMPORTANT ELL NEWS April, 15, 2008… The ongoing legal fight that began in 1992 finally provided an additional $40.6 million in new state funds for English learners in Arizona. Governor Napolitano allowed the bill to pass without her signature urging lawmakers to revise portions of the state law related to requiring schools to limit English-intensive instruction to two years, the portion of the law that has administrators throughout the state concerned with curriculum access for ELLs.  The Governor also wants to remove the provision that allows the state to count federal dollars toward ELL instructional costs. See AABE NEWS 2008 for more on the ongoing debate… In an important document (See Appeals court upholds judge's order on ELL deadline for Arizona, Feb. 23, 2008, AABE News 2008) a federal appeals panel ruled English-language instruction law is flawed. that it "may well retard or reverse whatever progress has been" made in the instruction of more than 134,000 Arizona children who are struggling to learn English. "If anything, after 2000, when Arizona moved away from bilingual education and required most courses to be taught in English, regardless of students' language abilities, these challenges have become greater: A 10th-grader, for example, who speaks no English but must pass a biology course taught entirely in English will require considerable assistance," Berzon noted.  Read more in AABE News 2008. What's next? Don't forget to thank Tim Hogan (thogan@aclpi.org) as he continues his tireless advocacy for English language learners.  Also, remember to continue to support advocates in public service who side with justice for children! Our action makes a difference! PLEASE RETURN FOR ACTION UPDATES FOR 2008.

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