Bilingual Education Network - BIEN!

Welcome to BiEN, the section of the California Department of Education Web Site that focuses on the education of linguistically and culturally diverse students. The information here, developed by staff of the Language Policy and Leadership Office, Elementary Teaching and Learning Division, is designed to help educators, parents, and members of the community develop programs and related services that enable students to achieve their highest potential in California's schools. The manager of the Language Policy and Leadership Office is David P. Dolson.

Diversity: Issues and Responses

Diversity, the differences and similarities that distinguish and unite us, represents a real and present challenge in education. Yet many educators have great difficulty in examining the implications of diversity for organizing schools and selecting curriculum and instructional methods.

ESL/Bilingual Exchange: Teachers Talk about Teaching

Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs

Established in 1974 by Congress, the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs helps school districts meet their responsibility to provide equal education opportunity to limited English proficient children.

National Clearinghouse

The National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs (OBEMLA) to collect, analyze, and disseminate information relating to the effective education of linguistically and culturally diverse learners in the U.S. NCBE provides information through its World Wide Web server and produces a weekly news bulletin, Newsline, and manages a topical electronic discussion group, NCBE Roundtable.

Bilingual/ESL/Multicultural Education Resources

Extensive information compiled by staff of the Center for Multilingual Multicultural Research, University of Southern California. Topicsinclude research, teaching methods, model programs, Web sites, and resource centers. Also provided are full text resources and articles.

Designing a Standards-Based Accountability System for Language-Minority Populations

Strategies for effectively including limited-English proficient students in a standards-based accountability system. Information is included about English Language Development standards.

TESOL Online

TESOL's mission is to develop the expertise of its members and others involved in teaching English to speakers of other languages to help them foster effective communication in diverse settings while respecting individuals' language rights.