Essential Components of a Lau Plan

Legal Foundation: Beginning with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, federal statutes require a plan that ensures equal access for English language learners (ELLs) to a school's instructional programming. See legal provisions for links to full resources.

Student Assessments

• Identification of ELL students, recognizing that they may include:
  • Multiple languages and cultures
  • All races
  • All national origins
  • Native-born students
  • Immigrants by choice
  • Immigrants without choice (refugee)
  • Adoptees
  • Temporary residents (exchange students)
  • Migrants
  • The educated -- highly literate in L1
  • The non-educated -- illiterate in L1
  • All socioeconomic backgrounds
  • All ages and grade levels
  • Wide-ranging interests
  • Wide-ranging abilities
  • Wide-ranging personalities
• Classroom placement of ELL students
• English language proficiency classification
• Standardized testing
• Norm-reference testing
• Authentic assessments
• Alternate assessments
• Monitoring for English fluency
• Monitoring for achievement of standards
• Re-classification as non-ELL
• See also http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/assessment/index.shtml

Instructional Plan

• Reading, writing, speaking, listening, comprehension
• Study skills
• Curriculum materials
• Sheltered English - see http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/
  tl-strategies/mc-principles.shtml
• Native language support (as appropriate)

Parental Involvement

• Notification of option to have their children participate in program
• Policy on document translations and interpreters for parents
• advisory committees
• Diverse roles of parents in the schools
• See "Families & Communities" at http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/
  community/index.shtml

Personnel

• Qualified personnel (ESL licensure)
• ESL staff development
• Content teacher staff development
• Wage scales equitable to those of regular classroom teachers

Coordination Plan

• Staff teaming
• Cross-grade articulation
• Portfolio maintenance across grades and content subject areas
• Communication among multiple ESL teachers and content teachers

Budget

• Staff
• Materials
• Professional development

Adjunct Services

• "Special subjects" (e.g., humanities, fine arts, gym)
• Developmental reading
• Creative writing
• Course electives (secondary level)
• Extra-curricular activities, clubs
• Acculturation support
• Speech therapy (as appropriate)
• Special education (as appropriate)
• Gifted & talented (as appropriate)
• Interpreter (as appropriate)
• "At risk" services (as appropriate)

Other Considerations

• Instructional space
• Student transportation
• Inclusion features
• Civil rights
• Celebrations
• Peer support
• Community ESL advisory committee
• Mentoring
• Business sponsorships