Nowadays all schools must be prepared to meet the challenge of an increasingly diverse student population, including many students who are not proficient in English. The effectiveness of various program models for language minority students remains the subject of controversy, and there are several factors to consider when selecting a program model: (1) district or school demographics, (2) student characteristics, and (3) district or school resources. English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs (rather than bilingual programs) are likely to be used in districts where the language minority population is very diverse and represents many different languages. There are several different types of ESL programs: ESL pull-out, ESL class period, and ESL resource center. Bilingual program models, which use the students' home language, in addition to English for instruction, are most easily implemented in districts with a large number of students from the same language background. There are three types of bilingual programs: early-exit, late-exit, and two-way . There are other programs that provide neither instruction in the native language nor direct instruction in ESL, but that have adapted instruction to meet the needs of students who are not proficient in English. Two such programs are sheltered English or content-based programs, and structured immersion programs. Researchers have identified a number of attributes that are characteristic of effective programs for language minority students. (AB)