This Work Paper is a reference sheet that provides a smorgasbord of national, state and local contacts; and paper references, agencies and organizations that have been useful in providing assistance over the years. For the most part, the listing includes free-of-charge references that are funded by your State or federal taxes!

Web contacts are identified where available rather than postal addresses because they allow ‘24/7’ access for those who need immediate answers on weekends or in the middle of the night! [A tip for those who are reading this document in paper format – go to the www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/bilingual.htm, find the text and then the web addresses can be accessed by a ‘click’ on your computer rather than having to key them.]

The federal government has provided funding for many different information initiatives over the years. These resources provide information at the sites and also provide links to other allied areas.

The primary resource for federal educational issues is, of course, the U.S. Department of Education at www.ed.gov/index.jsp The site is a little difficult to navigate however, it does provide the latest in the federal announcements on educational initiatives and, with a little luck, can open to a variety of other resources.

The main resource that has been used for these Working Papers is the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). The initial gateway to ERIC is at www.eric.ed.gov but the digests that contain complete articles can be found at www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/index/ This resource is extremely useful for researching away from library facilities and journal files.

The ERIC system has a Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education at http://ericec.org/ that already does much of the narrowing of topics in the area of special education. This site’s digests are found at http://ericec.org/digests/prodfly.html Individuals who have forgotten their copy of the latest federal legislation can be relieved of all anxiety by visiting http://ericec.org/lawlink.html

The ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education provides content in minority education at http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/ as well as information on other urban education concerns and practices.

One of the most comprehensive resources available on bilingual education is found at the Center for Applied Linguistics (www.cal.org/ericcll/) The Center maintains bilingual special education information under the Resource Guides Online heading of English Language Learners with Special Needs at www.cal.org/ericcll/faqs/rgos/special.html

Another major source for information is the former National Clearinghouse on Bilingual Education (www.ncbe.gwu.edu) which is now named the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs. The Clearinghouse has an excellent on-line library on special education: www.ncbe.gwu.edu/library/specialed/index.htm 

There are two major professional organizations that deal with language minority issues. The first is the National Association for Bilingual Education (www.nabe.org) and the second is the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (www.tesol.org) In addition to these organizations, one might also want to look at the Council for Exceptional Children (www.cec.sped.org)

Information on New York State policy and regulations for education can be accessed through www.nysed.gov Particular home pages of interest within that site include:

• Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) – www.vesid.nysed.gov 
• Special Education Policy, Resources and Publications- www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/home.html   
• Bilingual Special Education Resources- www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/bilingual.htm including the Bilingual Special Education Work Papers 
• Special Education Training and Resource Centers – some of the SETRCs have bilingual special education trainers - www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/setrc.htm
• Early Childhood Direction Centers- www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/ecdc.htm
• Parent Centers- www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/parent.htm 

• Office of Bilingual Education (www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/nysben)
• Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Centers (BETACS) – www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/biling/betac)

• Office of Teaching Initiatives (www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/)
• Online Professional Licensing Verification (www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches)

• New York State Inventory of Registered Programs (www.nysed.gov/heds/IRPSL1)

There are two state organizations that are affiliated with their national counterparts. Each of these hold local conferences and provide professional networking. The first is the New York State Association for Bilingual Education (NYSABE) – www.nysabe.org and the second is the New York State Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (NYSTESOL) – www.nystesol.org

An attempt has been made to assist in narrowing the search for information that directly relates to the issue of the education of language minority students. The sources listed above are standard entry gateways for information on the topic but are not meant to be all-inclusive.

Individuals may prefer to search the WEB by using available search engines when pursuing individual topics e.g.: assessment, instructional programs.

There are multiple federal and State resources available through the computer. These resources include the identification of personnel who can assist the school district in solving local problems as well as research on effective practices that can be used in structuring appropriate educational alternatives for language minority students in both general and special education.

The ERIC System The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a national information system designed to provide ready access to an extensive body of education-related literature. Established in 1966, ERIC is supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement and is administered by the National Library of Education (NLE).

At the heart of ERIC is the largest education database in the world-containing more than 1 million records of journal articles, research reports, curriculum and teaching guides, conference papers, and books.

The ERIC system, through its 16 subject-specific clearinghouses, associated adjunct clearinghouses, and support components, provides a variety of services and products that can help you stay up to date on a broad range of education-related issues. Products and services include research syntheses, electronic journals, online directories, reference and referral services, and document delivery.
Mission The mission of the ERIC system is to improve American education by increasing and facilitating the use of educational research and information to improve practice in learning, teaching, educational decision making, and research, wherever and whenever these activities take place.

You can find additional information about ERIC in the following resources:

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