Lau Plan Guidance Tool for English Learner Programs
We offer this Lau plan guidance tool as a means to support EL educators who hope to better understand, if not improve, the systems, structures, and policies that allow multilingual students identified as English learners (ML-ELs) to receive effective academic and language services. A Lau plan, required of all districts that enroll ML-ELs, reflects the spirit of the Supreme Court decision in Lau v. Nichols (1974) establishing the legal basis for equitable ML-EL education. Historically, district Lau plans detail the systems, structures, and policies that determine the services provided for ML-ELs and their families.
We developed this tool not to evaluate, but rather to guide K-12 district and EL leaders to develop robust systems, structures, and policies to produce effective, evidence-based EL programs and services. Our initial efforts focused on districts that enroll relatively few ML-ELs; however, the current Lau plan guidance too allows district and EL leaders from a wide variety of contexts to support ML-ELs through an evidence-based approach while attending to federal guidelines from Title I,Title III and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Our initial efforts focused on districts that enroll relatively few ML-ELs; however, the current Lau plan guidance too allows district and EL leaders from a wide variety of contexts to support ML-ELs through an evidence-based approach while attending to federal guidelines from Title I, Title III and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Samples from the Lau Plan Guidance Tool
Table of Contents
This interactive guide allows you to easily navigate between different rubrics and assessment areas of your program. The two-tiered structure (initial + secondary rubrics) allows program leaders to:
1. First establish high-level objectives using the initial assessment. Program leaders can use data from surveys or in-person activities with staff for this phase.
2. Once a leader identifies an area for improvement, they can go deeper into specific components using detailed secondary rubrics
3. Finally, leaders can develop targeted improvement strategies based on the content in the Lau Guidance Tool.
Initial Program Assessment
The Initial Program Assessment collection is highlighted in the Table of Contents. This collection gives program leaders a bird's eye view of their program. Along with survey data, or data from in-person staff activities, a leader can identify one or two areas of their program to strengthen.
Providing ML-ELs with a Language Assistance Program Initial Rubric
Here is an example of an area a program leader may want to improve. Program leaders can click on the secondary rubric to go deeper and learn more about what it takes to truly fortify your program in this area.
Providing ML-ELs with a Language Assistance Program Secondary Rubric
This is an example of what the secondary rubric looks like. Once a program leader has identified an area of focus, they can then see specific benchmarks for meeting their goal of strengthening their program in this area.