Bilingual Education Requirement
Wisconsin Statute 115.95 gives guidance to school districts who have enrolled a certain number of English Learner (EL) students from the same language group. Once one school in a district has enrolled the following concentrations of English learners who speak the same language, the district is required to create a plan for a bilingual-bicultural (BLBC) program and communicate that plan to parents and guardians in the school district:
- 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. Newly eligible districts should contact DPI to learn how to access and complete an initial Plan of Services. The initial plan must be reviewed and approved before districts can access BLBC state aids.
On an annual basis, districts complete a plan of services prospectively for the upcoming school year. At the end of the school year, districts complete an end-of-year Report and submit claims from the bilingual program. Information about completing these reporting requirements can be found in the "Information for Current BLBC Districts" section, below.
Bilingual-Bicultural Program Data
In 2023-24, the most current year for which BLBC data is available, 57 districts received BLBC state aid. A total of 26,948 eligible EL students were served in BLBC-aided programs, equaling approximately 50 percent of all EL students enrolled in Wisconsin public schools. Aided districts are located across the state and include small rural communities, medium-sized suburban communities, and larger urban communities.
For additional data on the BLBC program, including historical data, see the BLBC Legislative Reports posted on the Data and Reporting page.
Reporting Information and Resources for Current BLBC Districts
Current BLBC districts submit an annual plan of services, end-of-year report, and program fiscal report via the BLBC application in WISEhome. To request access to your district’s BLBC application in WISEhome, follow the directions posted on DPI's WISEhome webpage. For information about navigating and entering data into the BLBC application, see the BLBC User Guide. Districts that have not been approved for BLBC reimbursement must submit an initial plan of services to DPI prior to getting access to the BLBC application in WISEhome. Contact DPI for more information about the initial plan of services.
2025-26 Bilingual-Bicultural Plan of Services
DUE DATE: August 15, 2025
Resources:
-
Guide to Completing the Plan of Services
- Program Description Guide (use when completing the "Program Description" section of the Plan of Services in the BLBC application)
2024-25 End-of-Year (EOY) Report for Bilingual-Bicultural Aided School Districts
DUE DATE: August 1, 2025
Resources:
- Guide to Completing the End of Year Report
2024-25 Program Fiscal Report
DUE DATE: August 15, 2025
Resources:
- Click to access description of Updated BLBC Claiming Process
- Approvable Expenditures for State Bilingual-Bicultural Aid
-
Click to access list of BLBC WUFAR Codes
Eligible Students and Approvable Staff
When completing BLBC reports, districts should report only eligible students and report and claim only allowable staff. The documents below are designed to help districts determine student eligibility and staff allowability.
Students
Staff
Other Resources for BLBC Programs
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.
Click here to access the Language of Instruction Flowchart. Click here to access the Learner Outcomes Flowchart.
Spanish Language Development Standards
The state of Wisconsin does not have an officially-adopted set of Spanish language development (SLD) standards. Districts offering dual language programs that aim to develop fluency in both English and Spanish may want to use SLD standards to support the development of students' Spanish language skills. WIDA, the organization that publishes Wisconsin's English language development (ELD) standards, has also developed a framework for Spanish language development called El marco de los estándares del desarrollo auténtico del lenguaje español de WIDA, or Marco DALE. Marco DALE can be used to guide the teaching of Spanish language development in bilingual programs for grades K-12.
Learn more about WIDA's Spanish language development framework, Marco DALE, here: WIDA Marco DALE
Spanish Language Arts Standards
The state of Wisconsin has not officially adopted Spanish language arts (SLA) standards. However, bilingual or dual language programs that that provide literacy instruction in Spanish may want to use a set of SLA standards as a guide for curriculum development and lesson planning in the area of literacy. WIDA has developed an SLA framework called El marco de referencia de las artes del lenguaje del español de WIDA (Marco ALE). Marco ALE can provide districts with the key elements needed to develop SLA standards and to support the teaching of Spanish language arts.
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