A method for evaluating and improving the secondary school environment for limited-English-proficient students is presented. The first section outlines research findings about elements in the school context, curriculum, and staffing found effective in serving LEP students. Desirable factors in the school context include: valuing of students' languages and cultures; use and development of native languages in and out of the classroom; high expectations of LEP students; staff development explicitly designed for serving this population; encouragement of family involvement; and appropriate support services and extracurricular activities. An effective curriculum characteristic is its capacity to accommodate the heterogeneity of the population and its needs. Positive staff factors include: making LEP education a priority; knowledge and active support of LEP-oriented programs among all staff; counseling services designed for this population; and commitment to empowering LEP students. Two additional characteristics of effectiveness are the longevity and pervasiveness of the above school elements. A checklist for use in evaluating the secondary school for these and related features is presented. It details specific elements of effectiveness in the school environment, curriculum, and staff practice, provides a scale for rating them in the school in question, and contains spaces to note examples and ideas for improvement. (MSE)