Office of English Language Acquisition

The Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students (OELA) (formerly the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs (OBEMLA)) provides national leadership in promoting high quality education for the nation's population of English language learners (ELLs). Traditionally, this population has been known as limited English proficient students (LEPs). OELA's mission is to include various elements of school reform in programs designed to assist the language minority agenda. These include emphasis on high academic standards, an improvement of school accountability, an emphasis on professional development, the promotion of family literacy, the encouragement of early reading, and the establishment of partnerships between parents and the community.