EL Program Background

DEPARTMENT’S/PROGRAM BACKGROUND
Beginning in 1977 the General Assembly provided for programs of bilingual education in the public schools.  The State Department of Education (SDE) has issued guidelines for the provisions of the law referring to implementing language transition support services beginning in 2002.  All children who are identified as limited English proficient are covered by bilingual legislation.
Section 10-17e, 17f, 17i and 17j of the Connecticut General Statutes and Section  10-17g of the 2008 Supplement to the General Statutes
BILINGUAL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The overall purpose of a bilingual education program is to educate children identified as limited English proficient in schools where 20 or more of such children are of the same language group. 
The program of transitional bilingual education means a program that makes instructional use of both English and an eligible student’s native language; enables students to achieve English proficiency and academic mastery of subject matter content and higher order skills to meet appropriate grade promotion and graduation requirements; provides for the continuous increase in the use of English and corresponding decrease in the use of the native language for the purpose of instruction and provides for the use of English for more than half of the instructional time by the end of the first year; and may develop the native language skills of eligible students and include the participation of English proficient students if the program is designed to enable all enrolled students to become more proficient in English as a second language.