Language-in-Education Planning: The Florida Consent Decree After 25 Years

Abstract

The Florida Consent Decree (“Decree”), a legal document delineating guidelines for the preparation of teachers of English learners (ELs) in the state of Florida, was signed into law in 1990. Although this policy is among the most far-reaching in the United States, requiring all teachers to have preparation for ELs, 25 years have passed with little known about its impact on meeting the learning needs of EL students. This research brief reviews the empirical research on preservice and inservice teacher education under the Decree between 1991 and 2016. We offer recommendations for preparing teachers of ELs in the 21st century.