Functional Statements > Office of English Language Acquisition

SECTIONS

1. Mission and Responsibilities
2. Organization
3. Order of Succession
4. Functions and Responsibilities of OELA Components
   1. Immediate Office of the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director
   2. Special Initiatives Division
   3. State Consolidated Grants Division
   4. Continuation and Professional Development Grants Division
5. Primary Delegation of Authority

I. MISSION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director of the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) serves as principal advisor to the Secretary on Departmental matters related to the education of linguistically and culturally diverse students. OELA is charged with administering Title VII of the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA), a program seeking to help local educational agencies (LEAs) and state education agencies (SEAs) develop and support high quality instructional programs for linguistically and culturally diverse students.

The Office establishes and implements policy and national dissemination efforts of the bilingual education programs that serve the limited English proficient (LEP) children and adults. The Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director coordinates with other programs in the Department serving LEPs and provides national leadership and support for the programs and activities for which the administrative authority has been delegated by the Secretary. The Office directs, coordinates and recommends policy for programs that are designed to:

• Support systemic reform efforts carried out by SEAs and LEAs.
• Build and maintain capacity of SEAs to access Department of Education resources in order to effectively serve limited English proficient (LEP) students.
• Build and/or enhance local education agency (LEA) capacity to provide an education of high quality to LEP and language minority students.
• Build and enhance LEA and SEA capacity to provide quality foreign language programs for elementary and secondary students.
• Support and assist institutions of higher education (IHEs) to develop creative professional development programs for teachers, principals and other school-based educators.
• Provide programmatic leadership to enhance and share the knowledge base of issues related to limited English proficient students with other offices in the Department and the education community in general.

II. ORGANIZATION

The Office of English Language Acquisition is under the supervision of an Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director who reports to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary. The immediate Office of the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director provides overall direction, coordination, and leadership to the following major elements: Special Initiatives Division; State Consolidated Grants Division; and Continuation and Professional Development Grants Division.

III. ORDER OF SUCCESSION

In the event that the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director for English Language Acquisition dies, resigns or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office, and the office is thereby deemed to be vacant, the Deputy Director shall temporarily perform the functions and duties of the office in an acting capacity.
In instances where the office is not vacant, but the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director for English Language Acquisition is absent, the following officials, in the order shown, shall perform the functions and duties of the office:

Administrative Officer;
Deputy Director.

During a change in administration, unless otherwise directed by the Secretary or Deputy Secretary, the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director will designate the Administrative Officer to act as Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director to ensure a smooth transition.