PURPOSE OF PROGRAM	The purpose of the Newcomers Bilingual Education Program is to provide eligible students the opportunity to acquire skills in English necessary for successful participation in an English-only instructional program. This purpose is accomplished through instruction in the academic content areas in the student's dominant language and a strong, structured English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) program for the development of English language skills.
ELIGIBILITY	Eligibility (classification as Limited English Proficient (LEP) is determined by a Home Language Survey and an individualized language assessment. Students are transitioned into an English-only program with support of classes taught in a sheltered mode until they meet district-established criteria for redesignation as Fluent English Proficient (RFEP).
BILINGUAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE	At each school where the total LEP enrollment is twenty or more, a Bilingual Advisory Committee (BAC) participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the local program.