Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: The Bilingual Education Act    [full text]

Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), recognizes the unique educational disadvantages faced by non-English speaking students. Enacted in 1968, the Bilingual Education Act established a federal policy to assist educational agencies to serve students with limited-English-proficiency by authorizing funding to support those efforts. In addition to providing funds to support services to limited-English-proficient students, Title VII also supports professional development and research activities. Reauthorized in 1994 as part of the Improving America’s Schools Act, Title VII was restructured to provide for an increased state role and give priority to applicants seeking to develop bilingual proficiency. The Improving America’s Schools Act also modified eligibility requirements for services under Title I so that limited-English-proficient students are eligible for services under that program on the same basis as other students.

• The National PTA has a page on Title VII:  Guide to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act:  National PTA Priorities for the Reauthorization of ESEA, from January 1999.  Contains a summary of the title "at a glance" with a link to a more detailed description.
• The California Department of Education has a page for Title VII for English Learners which contains some background as well as a list of resources for Title VII bilingual education grants.
• How Title I and Title VII can work together to improve the performance of limited English proficient students from the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs (OBEMLA).

Summary from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Programs for English Language Learners,  Part IV: Glossary http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/ELL/glossary.html)