The ability to communicate in multiple languages and navigate distinct cultural settings are significant assets that need to be understood and supported in schools. Minnesota values schools that strive to recognize and build on the linguistic and cultural resources of students and families. Recognizing and building on the strengths and resources of multilingual learners not only supports the continued development and exploration of their home languages and cultures, but also can create welcoming and supporting spaces in which students take academic risks and more fully engage in school and classroom communities. In 2014 the Learning English for Academic Proficiency and Success (LEAPS) Act became law, signaling a shift toward more inclusive education policies that honor multilingualism and cultural competency as assets. Another important recent development is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in the form of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This required states to work with stakeholders to develop statewide identification and exit procedures and criteria for multilingual learners identified for English learner (EL) status. Systems should be in place to allow identification of eligible multilingual learners in Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) and School Readiness Plus programs for EL status. Students enrolled in these state funded programs can also generate additional EL funds that count against the seven-year funding cap on State EL Aid. With that in mind, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) strongly recommends that all multilingual learners in early learning settings have structured opportunities to develop their home language and literacy along with English language and literacy. This report is intended for a number of audiences. It provides statutory and regulatory background information as well as Supreme Court cases pertaining to English learners. It describes MDE's support of LEAs in implementing effective language instruction educational programs to ensure ELs are able to reach their academic potential. Additionally, it reports information about state and federal funds available to support ELs in Minnesota.