jun 23, 1981 - Castañeda v. Pickard

Description:

This was a case heard by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and ultimately set out a three-part test for ensuring bilingual education was compliant with the Equal Educational Opportunities Act.

The case was brought by a Mexican-American parent named Roy Castaneda against the Raymondville Independent School District, claiming that the district was segregating classes and not adequately teaching his students English. The test was found to be:
1. The ELL program must be based on a "sound educational theory"
2. It must be reasonably effective and staff should be trained and qualified appropriately
3. The program must be adjusted and evaluated regularly, especially if disparities are not being overcome.

This helped set guidelines for implementing the EEOA and Lau rulings, and it helped school districts map out creating their ELL programs.

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images: