EL Funding And Compliance

Title III

A Title III plan is documentation of activities that a local education agency (LEA) plans to conduct with funds received under Title III of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Only LEAs receiving Title III funds are required to submit a Title III plan. This plan should not be confused with activities conducted by the LEA to meet federal requirements under Lau v. Nichols. Title III plan should not be confused with an LEA’s English language service delivery program. The English language service delivery program describes all activities being planned/carried out to meet the needs of English learners (ELs).

The deadline to submit the Title III Plan is July 1st (or next business day if July 1st is on the weekend).

Lau Plan

"There is no equality of treatment merely by providing students with the same facilities, textbooks, teachers, and curriculum; for students who do not understand English are effectively foreclosed from any meaningful education." - Lau v. Nichols (1974)

What is a Lau Plan?

A Lau plan is an equal access plan that protects ELs. The plan describes what a school district will do:

  • to identify its ELs
  • to design an effective program reflective of their needs
  • to employ appropriate English-as-a-second-language or bilingual personnel (or both),
  • to align the instruction of ELs to state and local content standards
  • to provide ongoing authentic assessments to ascertain their growth in English language proficiency and in the comprehension of academic content.

A Lau plan is a "working document" that should be revisited frequently.

Essential components of a Lau plan include the legal foundation, student assessments, an instructional plan, parental involvement, qualified personnel, a coordination plan, a budget, adjunct services, and other possible considerations.

Additional Resources