According to a 2001 congressional report on bilingual education, the Bilingual Education Act of 1968 is intended for "limited English proficient children," or LEP, a term that is meant to be less stigmatizing for those with inadequate English skills. The BEA funds about 1,000 projects in school districts across the U.S. at a price tag of almost $300 million where "bilingual education projects use the native language for both English acquisition and academic learning in all subjects."
Conversely, the congressional report says that ESL, sheltered English and immersion projects may put little emphasis on the native language while expecting a relatively rapid grasp of English. ESL classes are the most common programming option used by K-12 schools for LEP students, particularly with older student populations, according to the report.
The term "bilingual education" is most associated with the Hispanic population, which has topped 50 million. The number is estimated to be more than 30 percent of the U.S. total population by 2050. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I program puts most of its funds in five states with large Hispanic populations: California, Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois. While the BEA only reaches about 500,000 LEP students, Title I federal funding aids about 1.5 million LEP students enrolled in bilingual education or ESL classes.
The congressional report estimates that there are 3.4 million LEP students in the U.S. who speak over 100 languages," about half of whom are served by BEA and Title I LEP programs. Approximately 75 percent of LEP students claim Spanish as their first language. While the federal funding only reaches half of the students who need assistance, state governments also spend close to $700 million a year for both bilingual education and ESL programs.