Which act requires schools to take steps to ensure equal educational opportunities for language minority students?

• A. No Child Left Behind Act
• B. Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) of 1974
• C. Elementary and Secondary Education Act
• D. National Defense Authorization Act

Answer: (B)

Ensuring equal access to education for students who are language minorities is the fundamental idea here. The Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 requires schools to take reasonable steps to overcome language barriers that impede equal educational opportunities, and it prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. This means districts must provide language support—such as ESL or bilingual programs—to make sure language differences don’t prevent a student from receiving a quality education.

The other acts address different priorities. No Child Left Behind focuses on accountability, standardized testing, and teacher quality, not the explicit obligation to overcome language barriers. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act deals with funding and general equal access, but not the specific mandate about language minority students that EEOA imposes. The National Defense Authorization Act is not related to education rights. So the act that best fits the requirement to ensure equal educational opportunities for language minority students is the Equal Educational Opportunities Act.