Foundations of Bi Ed

Question 1

Title: 14th Amendment & Brown vs. Board of Education (1954)

Answer 1

Key Points:
• The 14th Amendment (post-Civil War) laid the foundation for equal educational rights, especially for linguistic minorities.
• It prevents U.S. states from enforcing laws that limit citizens’ rights without due process.
• Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) overruled the “separate but equal” doctrine from Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896).
• In brown vs Board of ed the Supreme Court declared segregated public schools unconstitutional, stating that education should be available “on equal terms” for all.

Question 2

Title: U.S. Legislation for Education (1964-1974)

Answer 2

• The Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifically Title VI, banned discrimination in federally funded programs.
• Title VI and related acts promoted equal education and set rules for non-English proficient (LEP) students.
• The Bilingual Education Act (1968) aimed to provide special educational services for LEP students. (allocated funds to create programs to help their special education needs)
• The Equal Educational Opportunity Act (1974) defined the need to remove language barriers to ensure equal educational access.

Question 3

Title: Lau vs. Nichols Supreme Court Ruling (1974)

Answer 3

• In San Francisco, a lawsuit was filed for 1,800 Chinese students with limited English proficiency (LEP), claiming unequal educational access.
• The Supreme Court ruled that English-only instruction denied LEP students equal educational treatment.
• Simply using the same resources as English-speaking students was insufficient if LEP students couldn’t understand them.
• The ruling emphasized the need for accessible education beyond basic English skills.
• In 1975, guidelines were issued for LEP student programs ( lau remedies), but these were later dismantled in the 1980s.