The case of ''Castañeda v. Pickard'' was
tried in the
in 1978. This case was filed against the
Raymondville Independent School District
Raymondville Independent School District is a public school district based in Raymondville, Texas, United States.
In addition to Raymondville, the district serves the census-designated places of Ranchette Estates and Los Angeles Subdivision. ...
(RISD) in Texas by Roy Castañeda, the father of two
Mexican-American
Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...
children. Castañeda claimed that the RISD was
discriminating against his children because of their ethnicity. He argued that the classroom his children were being taught in was segregated, using a grouping system for classrooms based on criteria that were both ethnically and racially discriminating.
Castañeda also claimed the Raymondville Independent School District failed to establish sufficient
bilingual education
In bilingual education, students are taught in two (or more) languages. It is distinct from learning a second language as a subject because both languages are used for instruction in different content areas like math, science, and history. The t ...
programs, which would have aided his children in overcoming the language barriers that prevented them from participating equally in the classroom.
According to ''
Lau v. Nichols'', 414 U.S. 563 (1974), a case decided by the
U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
, school districts in this country are required to take the necessary actions in order to provide students who do not speak English as their first language the ability to overcome the educational barriers associated with not being able to properly comprehend what is being taught to them. Castañeda argued that there was no way to sufficiently measure the Raymondville Independent School District's approach to overcoming this barrier.
The ''Castañeda v. Pickard'' case was tried, and on August 17, 1978, the court system ultimately ruled in favor of the Raymondville Independent School District, stating they had not violated any of the Castañeda children's constitutional or statutory rights. As a result of the District Court ruling, Castañeda filed for an appeal, arguing that the District Court made a mistake in its ruling.
In 1981 the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is one of the 13 United States courts of appeals. It has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
...
ruled in favor of the Castañedas, and as a result, the court decision established a three-part assessment for determining how bilingual education programs would be held responsible for meeting the requirements of the
Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974.
The criteria are listed below:
*The bilingual education program must be “based on sound educational theory.”
*The program must be “implemented effectively with resources for personnel, instructional materials, and space.”
*After a trial period, the program must be proven effective in overcoming language barriers/handicaps.
References
Bibliography
#Mora, Jill Kerper, "Legal History of Bilingual Education." San Diego State University. 26 January 2005. San Diego State University. 12 February 2007.
.
#Larsen, Ann. "Office of Educational Services and Support." South Dakota Department of Education. 2004. SD Dept. of Education. 12 February 2007. .
#Hakuta, Kenji, "Castañeda vs. Pickard (1981) " LAU - A resource for students, teachers, researchers, and policymakers. Stanford University School of Education. 12 February 2007.
#Temple, Charles et al. (2005). “Bilingual Education.” All Children Read: Teaching for Literacy in Today’s Diverse Classrooms. Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall Publishers. Page 54.
External links
Graph of the Castañeda Model
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castaneda v. Pickard
Bilingual education in the United States
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit cases
United States education case law
History of Mexican Americans
1981 in United States case law
Language case law
1981 in education
1981 in Texas
Education in Willacy County, Texas