What are the provisions of the parental consent amendment to the bilingual education law?
The parental consent amendment to the bilingual education law, which went into effect on July 1, 1996, states that parents of limited English proficient students have the right to decline bilingual education program services. Prior to the enactment of this law, parents could challenge a district s decision to enroll their child in a bilingual education program, but could not decline services without following an appeal process. 2. Is parental consent only for bilingual education programs or does it also include ESL-only programs and English language services? (See appendix for definitions.) The intent of the parental consent amendment is to apply to all parents of LEP students. Therefore, the law applies to parents of students eligible to be served by part-time and full-time bilingual/ESL programs, ESL-only programs or English language services (ESL) programs. B. ELIGIBILITY 1. Does the parental consent amendment apply only to LEP students enrolled in the program after July 1, 1996? No
