Which legal case affirmed the need for educational services specifically for English Learners?

The legal case that affirmed the need for educational services specifically for English Learners is Lau v. Nichols. This landmark case, decided by the Supreme Court in 1974, addressed the issue of language barriers in public education. The court ruled that the San Francisco school district's practice of providing the same education to non-English speaking students as to their English-speaking peers, without adequate language support, was a violation of the students' civil rights.

The court emphasized that simply providing access to education was not sufficient if the educational methods did not result in meaningful participation for English Learners. It highlighted the requirement for schools to offer services that would address the unique needs of these students, ensuring they could effectively engage and learn in the classroom. This case laid the foundation for subsequent policies and practices geared towards appropriately supporting English Learners in educational settings.