According to Castaneda v. Pickard, what is the third component of the three-part standard?

• A. Ongoing program evaluation
• B. Student attendance
• C. Parental involvement
• D. Access to technology

Answer: (A)

In Castaneda v. Pickard, the three-part standard for ELL programs includes: a sound educational theory guiding the program, proper implementation with adequate resources, and ongoing evaluation of the program’s effectiveness using data, with a plan to make changes if results show insufficient progress. The third component is ongoing program evaluation. This means districts must continually measure how well the program works—through student progress data, assessments, and other evidence—and use those findings to adjust instruction and practices as needed.

Attendance, parental involvement, and access to technology are important for student success but are not the formal third component of this standard.