SECTIONS 305-306 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 305-306

305. Subject to the exceptions provided in Article 3 (commencing
with Section 310), all children in California public schools shall be
taught English by being taught in English. In particular, this shall
require that all children be placed in English language classrooms.
Children who are English learners shall be educated through sheltered
English immersion during a temporary transition period not normally
intended to exceed one year. Local schools shall be permitted to
place in the same classroom English learners of different ages but
whose degree of English proficiency is similar. Local schools shall
be encouraged to mix together in the same classroom English learners
from different native-language groups but with the same degree of
English fluency. Once English learners have acquired a good working
knowledge of English, they shall be transferred to English language
mainstream classrooms. As much as possible, current supplemental
funding for English learners shall be maintained, subject to possible
modification under Article 8 (commencing with Section 335) below.

306. The definitions of the terms used in this article and in
Article 3 (commencing with Section 310) are as follows:
(a) "English learner" means a child who does not speak English or
whose native language is not English and who is not currently able to
perform ordinary classroom work in English, also known as a Limited
English Proficiency or LEP child.
(b) "English language classroom" means a classroom in which the
language of instruction used by the teaching personnel is
overwhelmingly the English language, and in which such teaching
personnel possess a good knowledge of the English language.
(c) "English language mainstream classroom" means a classroom in
which the pupils either are native English language speakers or
already have acquired reasonable fluency in English.
(d) "Sheltered English immersion" or "structured English immersion"
means an English language acquisition process for young children in
which nearly all classroom instruction is in English but with the
curriculum and presentation designed for children who are learning
the language.
(e) "Bilingual education/native language instruction" means a
language acquisition process for pupils in which much or all
instruction, textbooks, and teaching materials are in the child's
native language.