Bilingual Education in the State of New Jersey is required in the state’s education code.  This provision is in place to provide Bilingual Education to English Language Learners (ELLs)  and to provide information to parents in their language.

Bilingual Education was established in the State of New Jersey to assist ELLs in acquiring English as a second language while gaining content knowledge that is required to graduate high school.  The State of New Jersey has approved annual standardized tests that monitor the progress of students, and helps to determine if, and how, they have advance throughout the program.

Bilingual Education in the State of New Jersey is a program designed for students who speak Spanish as their first language, but their English skills indicate that they are still learning English as a second language.  In this program, teachers and students use English and Spanish in order to develop concepts of the content and the academic language that is needed in order to engage the content being taught.  

Despite teaching in English and Spanish, the main goal of Bilingual Education is for students to become more proficient in English, so that they can transition into a mainstream, English-only classroom.

By the time students reach junior and high school Bilingual Education is taught in social studies, science, and math classes.  Classes are taught in English, but supplemental information is taught in Spanish as needed. All of the classes taught are requirements for high school graduation.

Additionally, there are a variety of classes that are not part of the Bilingual Education program, but that support the educational needs of students in Bilingual Education classes.  By design, Bilingual Education was created to transition ELLs into an English only classroom once they achieve English language proficiency.

Bilingual Education skills can be further developed by parents and children reading bilingual books together.  By reading bilingual books both parents and children are gaining literacy and language skills. Lectura Books offers an array of age appropriate bilingual books.  To learn more about how bilingual books and parental involvement can help accelerate language skills and retention visit The Latino Literacy Project.