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U.S. Department of Education

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Functional StatementsOffice of English Language Acquisition
OELA Introduction

### I. Mission and Responsibilities

The Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director of the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary on Departmental matters related to the education initiatives of multilingual and English learners as well as administering all Title III programs authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended. 

The Office establishes and implements policy and national technical assistance efforts of the language instructional educational programs that serve English learners (ELs), as defined by Section 8101 of the ESEA and Limited English proficient (LEP) adults (Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts). Additionally, OELA leads national efforts to support multilingual education.  The Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director coordinates with other programs in the Department serving ELs and provides national leadership and support for the programs and activities for which the 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 State educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs). 
                -  Build and maintain capacity of SEAs to access Department of Education resources in order to effectively serve EL students. 
                -  Build and enhance LEA and SEA capacity to provide a high-quality language instruction educational program. 
                -  Enhance SEA and LEA capacity to provide effective instruction and support to Native American students who are identified as English learners (ELs). 
                -  Support and assist institutions of higher education (IHEs) to develop high quality 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 ELs with other offices in the Department and the education community in general. 
                -  Coordinate with the other offices that focus on ELs, such as, but not limited to, the Office for Civil Rights and the Offices of Migrant Education and School Support and Accountability within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. 

### II. Organization

The Office of English Language Acquisition is under the supervision of an Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director who reports to the Secretary. The Office also has a Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) as well as a Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Policy and Programs. The DAS for OEL provides direction, coordination, and leadership to the Office of English Learners (OEL). The DAS for Policy and Programs (political) oversees the Office of Multilingual Initiatives (OMI). 

### III.  Order of Succession

In the event that the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director dies, resigns or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office and the office is thereby deemed to be vacant, and the Secretary has not designated in writing another individual to act as the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director, the following officials, in the order shown, shall perform the functions and duties of the office in an acting capacity.
                -  Deputy Assistant Secretary  
                -  Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Programs 

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