The Office of Bilingual Education (OBE) was established in 1969 as the unit within the New York State Education Department (NYSED) which provides support to districts in developing and implementing educational programs for limited English proficient (LEP) students. In early 2006, Foreign Language Studies (FLS) was added to the department title, and today the department is known as the Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies (OBEFLS). The office assists districts in complying with Part 154 of the Commissioner of Education's Regulations, which requires districts to adopt a policy on the education of LEP students, plan and provide appropriate services for them, and evaluate and report their academic achievement.
Carmen Perez-Hogan was director of the Office of Bilingual Education from 1978 to 2005. Prior to her years as director, she was a teacher and administrator in the New York City public schools for 11 years, and was briefly leader of a bilingual teacher training initiative at the State University of New York at Albany.
From the guide to the Director's files, 1980-2005, (New York State Archives)
