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No Educator Left Behind is a series providing answers from the U.S. Department of Education to questions about the federal No Child Left Behind Act and how it will affect educators. If you have a question about No Child Left Behind, send an e-mail to Ellen Delisio, and we will submit your question to the Department of Education.

Question:

Does the No Child Left Behind Act require specific curriculum for teaching English to non-English-speaking students?

U.S. Department of Education:

The new law does not dictate a particular method of instruction for teaching English and other academic content. States and districts must establish English proficiency standards, and provide high-quality language instruction based on scientific research about English acquisition, in addition to high-quality academic instruction in reading and mathematics.

States and districts must place highly qualified teachers in classrooms where English-language learners are taught.

Children who are becoming fluent in English also are studying academic content areas, such as reading, math, and science. Students will be tested in those areas to evaluate progress.

Read previous questions and answers in our No Educator Left Behind archive.