CABE and Californians Together to Hold a Press Conference on NCLB Assessment Lawsuit against the State of CA

Covina, CA, April 4, 2005 – Joining Coachella Valley Unified School District, the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) and Californians Together jointly retained three major civil rights and education law firms to pursue a lawsuit against the State of California to enforce the provisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act pertaining to the academic assessment of English Learners. There are 1.6 million English Learners in California. California’s accountability system solely includes academic tests of English Learners (grades 2-11) administered in a language they don't speak or understand. There is no sound educational or legal basis for this practice.

The objective of this lawsuit is to compel the State of California to assess the academic progress of its English Learners as required by the mandate of NCLB: States must assess limited English proficient students in “a valid and reliable manner” that includes (A) “reasonable accommodations”; and (B) “to the extent practicable, assessments in the language and form most likely to yield accurate data on what such students know and can do in academic content areas, until such students have achieved English language proficiency.”

The three law firms jointly retained by CABE and Californians Together are Burke, Williams and Sorensen, LLP, which specializes in education law, and the Law Offices of Hadsell & Stormer, Inc. and Law Offices of Marc Coleman, each specializing in civil rights litigation.

In an effort to provide full details of the lawsuit, CABE and Californians Together are co-hosting a press conference on (Thurs.), April 7, 2005, 11:30 AM at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, located at 611 W. Sixth Street Suite 2500 Los Angeles, CA 90017.

CABE is a non-profit organization that was incorporated in 1976 to promote bilingual education and quality educational experiences for all students in California. CABE has over 5,000 members with over 55 chapters/affiliates, all working to promote educational equity and student achievement for students with diverse cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds. We recognize and honor the fact that we live in a rich multicultural, global society and that respect for diversity makes us a stronger state and nation.

Californians Together is a statewide coalition of parents, teachers, education advocates and civil rights groups committed to securing equal access to quality education for all children. It was founded in 1998 as a non-profit organization after the passage of Proposition 227. Californians Together, in conjunction with many of its affiliates, strive to foster full participation in a democratic society through quality education for children and parents from underserved communities.

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