The Department of Justice has reached a legal settlement with the North Plainfield, N.J., school district regarding the instruction of English-language learners.
The agreement requires the district to provide “timely assessment” of English-language learners and monitor their academic progress as well as to provide a high-quality curriculum and sufficient library and teach er resources for them, the department said in a Sept. 7 press release.
Marilyn E. Birnbaum, the superintendent of the 3,300-student district, said the Justice Department first inquired about the school system’s instruction of English-language learners during the 2002-03 school year. At that time, 9 percent of its high school students and 12 percent of its elementary students were English-language learners.
She said the district has always provided a strong curriculum for English-language learners but will strive to improve, such as by ensuring that identification methods are consistent at all schools.
