What was the outcome of the Lau vs. Nichols case?

The outcome of the Lau vs. Nichols case established that school districts must provide English Language Learner (ELL) students with the necessary tools and support to understand instruction in the classroom. This landmark case highlighted the legal obligation for schools to ensure that non-English speaking students receive an adequate education, which includes access to language assistance programs that aid in their comprehension of the curriculum being taught.

The ruling emphasized that simply providing the same educational resources to ELL students as to their peers is not sufficient if those resources do not enable meaningful access to learning. As a result, the decision reinforced the importance of creating an environment where ELL students can thrive academically by ensuring that they can understand the instructional content, thereby upholding their right to an equal education under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.