Bilingual Education

New York City schools offer bilingual education and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs to students who are not proficient in English to provide them with an equal educational opportunity. The student's parent may decide whether they want his or her child to take bilingual education or ESL. Every public school should offer an ESL program. However, not all schools will offer a bilingual education program.

In addition, many schools in New York City receive Title I funds and offer assistance to students with limited English proficiency using these funds. You may ask your school about services under Title I.

Every parent or guardian who registers a child for school will complete a home language identification survey that asks about the languages spoken by the child and other people in the child's household. Based on the answers to this survey, the child may be required to take a Language Assessment Battery (LAB) test. If the child scores below the 41st percentile on the LAB test, he or she will be classified as an English Language Learner (ELL) and required to take either bilingual education or ESL. The child may also have the option of taking a Dual Language/Two Way Model or an Accelerated Academic English Language Model (available for grades 4 to 9).

• Bilingual education is a program of instruction that uses the child's native language and English. Bilingual education is designed to help the child retain ability in his or her native language, learn the academic subject areas, and learn English. Bilingual education classes include ESL methods.

• ESL is a program that teaches a child English using only the English language.
  
  The Dual Language/Two Way Model integrates native English speakers and native speakers of another language for all or most of their content area instruction.

• The Accelerated Academic English Language Model is a program where English language arts is integrated with content area learning, and ESL techniques are used throughout all of the instruction.

For more information about bilingual education and ESL, please visit the NYC Department of Education's Web site.