This guide provides administrators and educators descriptions of ways to start, develop, and operate transitional bilingual programs in accordance with the Washington state "Transitional Bilingual Instruction Act of 1979." The three sections of the guide outline the following information: (1) selection and description of instructional program models, either full or partial bilingual instruction, or an English as a Second Language (ESL)instructional program, always with emphasis on the transitional nature of the model; (2) a description in outline form of outreach and in-class service delivery models; and (3) a checklist of bilingual education components for school districts to implement. Five appendices present flow charts for selecting programs for elementary and secondary schools with fewer than 20 Limited English Speaking (LES) students and for processing elementary and secondary LES students. (Author/AMH)