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Language Access Plan

Public Engagement & Student Access and Opportunity

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Ten Minnesota Commitments to Equity

Prioritize equity.
Start from within.
Measure what matters.
Go local.
Follow the money.
Start early.
Monitor implementation of standards.
Value people.
Improve conditions for learning.
Give students options.

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Welcome to Our Session!

"Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going." – Rita Mae Brown

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Grounding Questions

Personal Experiences: Have you or someone close to you ever faced language barriers?
Professional Context: How has language access (or lack thereof) affected your work?
Community Impact: What are the broader implications of language access for your district or community?

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Language Access Defined

Language access means providing individuals who communicate in a language other than English with timely and reasonable access to the same information and services as English-speaking individuals.

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Federal Laws Supporting Language Access

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states, “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Equal Education Opportunity Act of 1974 states, “All children enrolled in public schools are entitled to equal educational opportunity without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) protects language access for bilingual families by requiring that students be tested in their home language and Individual Educational Plans (IEP) be written in the appropriate home language. IEP meetings must be conducted in the family’s home language using a highly trained and qualified interpreter.

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Equal Opportunity Act of 1974

Equal Education Opportunity Act of 1974 states, “All children enrolled in public schools are entitled to equal educational opportunity without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin.

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EEOA connection to language access:

Non-Discrimination: The EEOA ensures that students cannot be discriminated against based on their national origin, which includes language. Schools must provide adequate support to ELLs to ensure they can participate equally in educational programs.

Adequate Instruction: To comply with the EEOA, schools are required to take affirmative steps to overcome language barriers that impede equal participation by students in their instructional programs. This includes providing bilingual education programs, EL (English Language) programs, or other support services to help ELs succeed academically.

Access to Curriculum: The EEOA supports the idea that all students, including those who speak languages other than English, should have access to the same curriculum and educational opportunities as their English-speaking peers. Schools must ensure that ELs can access the content of lessons and are not left behind due to language barriers.

Parental Engagement: The act also implies that parents of ELs must be provided with information in a language they can understand to effectively participate in their child's education. This includes translation and interpretation services for school communications, meetings, and events.

Compliance and Enforcement: The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces compliance with the EEOA. Schools that fail to provide adequate language access can face investigations and be required to make changes to their programs to ensure compliance.

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) protects language access for bilingual families by requiring that students be tested in their home language and Individual Educational Plans (IEP) be written in the appropriate home language. IEP meetings must be conducted in the family’s home language using a highly trained and qualified interpreter.

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Assessment in Home Language: IDEA mandates that students must be assessed in their home language to ensure accurate identification and evaluation of disabilities. This requirement ensures that language barriers do not misrepresent a student's abilities or needs. Assessments conducted in the student’s home language provide a more accurate picture of their educational requirements.

IEP Meetings in Home Language: IEP meetings must be conducted in the family’s home language, utilizing highly trained and qualified interpreters. This requirement ensures that parents can fully participate in the decision-making process regarding their child's education. It allows them to ask questions, express concerns, and collaborate effectively with educators.

Parental Rights and Engagement: IDEA emphasizes the importance of parental involvement in the education of children with disabilities. Providing language access ensures that bilingual families understand their rights, the services available, and the educational plans for their children. It empowers them to be active participants in their child’s education.

Cultural Competence: By requiring language access, IDEA promotes cultural competence within schools. Educators and staff are encouraged to respect and accommodate the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of students and their families, leading to a more inclusive and supportive educational environment.

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Department of Justice Executive Order 13166

Executive Order 13166: Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) states, “All federal agencies or federally funded activities must ensure meaningful access for individuals with limited English proficiency. This includes developing a language access plan/policy with procedural guardrails in place to ensure effective implementation.”

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Context of Language Access

Requirements for recipients of federal funding to provide language access have been in place for over 50 years.
Federal government has developed a series of resources to aid compliance since Executive Order 13166 in 2000.
The pandemic further magnified the critical importance of ensuring language access as well as the limitations of state and local governments’ abilities to communicate with multilingual families and communities.
Despite dedicated efforts by federal, state and local government, and advocates across the country, language access in federally funded programs delivered by state and local recipients remains a goal, not a reality.

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Federally Supported Programs

Programs that are supported (i.e. funded) by the federal government but delivered to the public by state and local entities including government agencies, community organizations, and for-profit companies.
Includes a range of sectors and providers such as K-12 education, health care, human services, workforce development, emergency services, etc.
Programs that receive federal support, even subgrantees, must provide language access to their services and information.

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Minn. Stat. 123B.32 LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN

Subd. 1. Language access plan required. Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, during a regularly scheduled public board hearing, a district must adopt a language access plan that specifies the district's process and procedures to render effective language assistance to students and adults who communicate in a language other than English. The language access plan must be available to the public and included in the school’s handbook.

Subd. 2. Plan requirements. The language access plan must include how the district and its schools will use trained or certified spoken language interpreters for communication related to academic outcomes, progress, and determinations, and placement of students in specialized programs and services; and how families and communities will be notified of their rights under this plan.

Subd. 3. Regular review. The board must review the plan every two years and update the plan as appropriate.

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Timeline

2024-25 – MDE to offer technical assistance and support to build shared understanding of federal language access requirements, best practice, funding sources, draft and finalize plan at the district level.
2025-26 – During a regularly scheduled public board hearing, a district must adopt a language access plan. Schools will have the option to create their own local language access plan or adopt their district’s plan.
2026-27 – Full implementation and ongoing technical assistance and support from MDE to ensure school and district wide implementation and continuous improvement of local plans.

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The Language Access Plan Timeline

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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2024-25

MDE offer Technical Assistance
Build Shared understanding and Best practices
District drafting Plans

2025-26

Public Board Hearing
District Plan Adoption
Training

2026-27

Full Implementation and Ongoing Support from MDE
Monitoring and Evaluation

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The Minnesota Language Access Network

A statewide network of school and district contacts for interpreting, translation and language access that:

Identify needs and priorities
Develop and share information and resources
Advocate for language access in Minnesota schools
Support high quality interpreting and translation services
Work actively to promote language access

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The Minnesota Language Access Network Goals

Disseminating information about language access resources and development opportunities
Sharing information about district language access practices, successes, and needs
Sharing existing training and resource materials, such as translations of commonly used documents and glossaries
Promoting effective language access for parents/guardians and their broader communities

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MDE’s Language Access Plan Processes and Procedures

Organize processes and procedures to build shared understanding and practice.

Example of MDE's internal language access plan layout.

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Self-Assessment

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Effective language access and implementation plan

Identifying and assessing needs

Understanding how LEP individuals and families interact with school

Providing notice of langauge assistance services

Providing language assistance services

Monitoring, evaluating and updating plan

Training staff

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Components of a Plan

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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Policy Directives

Plan

Procedures

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Plan Maintenance and Sustainability

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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Language Assistance Plan

Identification and assessment of LEP students and families

Description of timeframe, objectives and benchmarks

Identification of funding and procurement issues

Identification of persons who will implement/train on the plan

Staff training on policies ad procedures

Notice of language assistance services (in Parent Handbook)

Collaboration with LEP families, communities and community partners

Monitoring and updating of plan

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Funding 101

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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Funding Sources	Authority	Eligibility	Common Job Titles or Purposes Permitted
ESSA Title I, Part A	Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA)	Formula based primarily on federal census poverty estimates	Cultural liaison, Family Liaison, Home-school Liaison, Cultural Family Advocate, Family and Community Engagement Activities
Special Education - State	Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), M.S. 125A Special Education and Special Education Programs; M.R. 3525, Children with a Disability	Formula based on eligible student and program costs	American Indian Home/School Liaison, Cultural Liaison, Home/School Advocate

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Funding 101

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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Achievement and Integration	M.S. 124D.862; M.R. 3535.0160 Integration of Racially Identifiable Schools; M.R. 3535.1704 Integration of racially Isolated School Districts	Formula	Revenue is to fund A&I goals. These strategies may include innovative and integrated pre-k to 12 learning environments, family engagement initiatives, professional development, and recruitment and retention of racially diverse staff.
ESSA Title III, Part A	Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA)	Formula based on English learner counts	Family and Community Engagement Activities

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Funding 101

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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Special Education - Federal	Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B section 611; IDEA Part B Section 619; IDEA Part C; IDEA Part B Section 611 Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS); IDEA Part B Section 611 Mandatory CEIS	Formula based on number of eligible students	American Indian Home/School Liaisons and Cultural Liaison
General Funds	N/A	N/A	Flexible

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TransAct

To activate your account, use your district email and contact: support@transact.com

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Resources

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Think Pair Share Activity

Guiding Questions:

What comes up for you when you here the phrase language access?
What successes have you experienced in providing language access?
What challenges have you faced in implementing language access?
How has language access impacted your students and community?

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Thank you!

Contacts:

Leigh.Schleicher@state.mn.us

Michelle.Niska@state.mn.us

Saadia.Mohamed@state.mn.us

Lee.Her@state.mn.us

Minnesota Department of Education | education.mn.gov

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