The Tiger’s Eye staff wanted to take a closer look at Rule 15 as a law and system that directly impacts students and teachers at Fremont High School.

In this in-depth package, The Language Gap and the People Bridging It at Fremont High School, we break down how Rule 15 works, from how students are identified as English Learners to the support they receive in class and what it takes to exit the program, while also exploring what these laws mean for a district where many students are learning English.

Through interviews, reporting and design, we focused on both the structure of the policy and the people affected by it, including students learning a new language and educators working to provide instruction, accommodations and support that ensure equal access to education.

Rather than just explaining the policy, this issue aims to show how Rule 15 plays out in our school and why it matters to the students it is meant to support.

—The Tiger’s Eye Staff