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Wisconsin Bilingual-Bicultural Programs

Bilingual Education Requirement

Wisconsin Statute 115.95 gives guidance to school districts who have enrolled a concentration of students who are English learners from the same language group. Once one school in a district has enrolled the following populations of English learners who speak the same language, the district is required to create a plan for a bilingual-bicultural program and communicate that plan to parents in the school district. The number of students which trigger this requirement differs by grade level:

  • 10 students in grades K-3
  • 20 students in grades 4-8
  • 20 students in grades 9-12

Once all requirements of Wisconsin Statute 115.95 are met for the district’s bilingual-bicultural program, the district becomes eligible for reimbursement of a percentage of the cost of its bilingual bicultural program. School districts will complete a Plan of Services prospectively for the upcoming school year. At the end of the school year, the district will complete an End-of-Year report and submit claims from the bilingual program. Newly eligible districts should contact DPI to learn how to access and complete a Plan of Services.To find historical data on this program, see Legislative Reports on the Data and Reporting page.


The BLBC reporting application is located in WISEhome. Districts must submit end-of-year reports and plans of services via WISEhome. District data from the retired BLBC application has been imported into the new application. Follow the BLBC User Guide to enter reporting data. To request access to your district’s BLBC application in WISEhome, follow the directions posted here.

2022-23 End-of-Year (EOY) Report for Bilingual-Bicultural Aided School Districts.

DUE DATE: August 1, 2023   

 

2023-24 Plan of Services: Bilingual-Bicultural Education.

DUE DATE: August 15, 2023

 

LIEP Crosswalk - When choosing what type of bilingual education program model to implement, districts should consult DPI’s newly revised English Learner Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) Crosswalk . The LIEP crosswalk lists the bilingual education program models that meet the state BLBC requirements. DPI has also created two flowcharts that are designed to assist districts in determining what type of program to implement.
 

Spanish Language Arts Standards - These standards are designed for use with native Spanish speakers and are research and practice-based. This Teacher and student-centered framework is informed on language arts and Spanish language arts from Argentina (Buenos Aires Province), Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and the United States (California, New York, Puerto Rico and Texas.) The SLA Standards should serve as a guide for curriculum development and lesson planning in Spanish bilingual programs, particularly programs that have a focus on developing the native language in addition to English.

The framework for Spanish Language Standards and Instruction can be found here:  

 

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