FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2004 WWW.USDOJ.GOV CRT (202) 514-2008 TDD (202) 514-1888 WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with a New Jersey school district designed to ensure that English Language Learner students receive adequate and appropriate English language training, as required by federal law.
Most of the English Language Learner students in the North Plainfield school district have a Spanish language background, although many of the districts students come from other language backgrounds.
Generations of children of immigrants have prospered in mainstream American life, and early English acquisition is key to that success, said R. Alexander Acosta, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. Local school systems have an obligation to provide the tools necessary for learning English. We applaud the school districts decision to enter into this important agreement and to work diligently toward overcoming the language barriers of its English Language Learner students. The settlement agreement requires monitoring of academic progress as well as timely assessment of all students with non-English speaking backgrounds so that no student entitled to language support is overlooked. The agreement also requires that the district provide quality curricula and instruction for English Language Learner students, sufficient library and teacher resources, adequate teacher training, and increased cooperation between English as a Second Language, bilingual, and general education teachers.
More information about the Educational Opportunities Section of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division can be found on the Departments website at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/edo/index.html. 04-597
Source: US Department of Justice
