Education for minority group children has been completely inadequate through the failure of educators to understand sympathetically the children's linguistic and cultural backgrounds and through the erroneous emphasis upon replacing "poor speech habits" rather than adding a second dialect (standard English). To help reduce the gap between ideals proclaimed by national educational advisors and actual conditions, the USOE supplies funds for several programs: (1) the Bilingual Education Act provides for instruction in a child's first language as well as in standard English, thus assuring status for his own culture; (2) the Career Opportunities Program promotes the recruitment and training of low-income and minority group high school graduates for work with disadvantaged youth; and (3) the Triple T Program trains the trainers of teachers and other educators, and implements permanent changes in institutions which have failed to prepare educators of minority children--especially in the language arts. Those working with children whose first language is not standard English must have an understanding of the nature of language and the cultural, social, and classroom factors of second language learning. (JM)