Contact

Spanish Authority serves as a national reference for the structure, standards, and provider landscape of Spanish-language education services across the United States. This page identifies the available channels for reaching the Spanish Authority office, the geographic scope of the reference network, and the information that should accompany any substantive inquiry. Professionals, researchers, institutional partners, and service seekers navigating the Spanish-language education services sector are the primary audiences for contact through this office.

Additional contact options

Beyond direct messaging, the Spanish Authority reference network supports inquiry through structured page-level content that addresses the majority of informational needs without requiring staff response. The following resources are organized by inquiry type:

• Program type and classification questions — The Types of Education Services reference and the Bilingual Education Programs Overview page classify program models including dual-language immersion, transitional bilingual education, and heritage language instruction.
• Credential and certification inquiries — Spanish Teacher Certification Requirements documents state-level licensing frameworks by credential category, referencing the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and state education agency standards.
• Regulatory and funding structure — Federally Funded Spanish Bilingual Education addresses Title III of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the primary federal authorization governing English Learner and bilingual program funding administered through the U.S. Department of Education.
• Assessment and testing standards — Spanish Language Assessment and Testing covers ACTFL proficiency guidelines, AP Spanish program structures, and state-administered language assessments.
• Frequently asked questions — The Education Services FAQ consolidates answers to the 12 most common questions submitted through this office.

Researchers with questions about sector structure may also consult the Process Framework for Education Services, which maps the functional stages of program design, provider qualification, and compliance.

How to reach this office

The Spanish Authority office receives inquiries submitted through the site contact form. Response handling follows a triage protocol based on inquiry classification:

1. Reference inquiries — Questions about program types, certification pathways, curriculum standards, or regulatory frameworks are addressed through existing published content wherever possible. Responses to reference inquiries cite applicable named sources, including the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), the U.S. Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), and relevant state education agencies.

2. Provider and directory inquiries — Questions from schools, tutoring services, immersion programs, or adult education providers regarding listing eligibility or professional classification are reviewed against the sector taxonomy described in Types of Education Services.

3. Researcher and institutional inquiries — Academic researchers, policy analysts, and institutional partners may submit structured inquiries requesting clarification on the reference network's scope, sourcing methodology, or sector coverage. These inquiries receive priority handling when accompanied by organizational affiliation.

4. Technical and content correction submissions — Factual corrections, broken reference reports, or source disputes are treated as high-priority. Any correction submission should identify the specific page, the disputed claim, and the named public source supporting the correction.

Response timelines vary by inquiry volume and classification. Reference inquiries that are fully addressed by published content receive automated routing to the relevant page rather than a manual staff response.

Service area covered

Spanish Authority operates as a national-scope reference resource covering all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The reference network addresses Spanish-language education services across the full institutional spectrum — from federally regulated English Learner programs in K–12 public schools governed under ESSA Title III, to privately operated immersion programs, community-based instruction, and college-degree programs in Spanish linguistics and education.

Geographic specificity within the national scope is structured by program type rather than by state directory. The Dual Language Immersion Programs reference, for example, addresses both one-way and two-way immersion models as they appear across U.S. public school systems, while Spanish Language Adult Education Programs covers community college, workforce, and continuing education contexts governed by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) at the federal level.

State-level variation in teacher certification, bilingual program mandates, and funding allocation is documented within topic-specific pages rather than through a state-by-state directory structure. California, Texas, New Mexico, and Florida — states with the largest Spanish-speaking student populations as documented by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) — appear as named reference cases throughout the network's substantive pages.

What to include in your message

Inquiries submitted without sufficient context cannot be efficiently routed or addressed. The following breakdown identifies what each inquiry type should contain:

For reference or research inquiries:
- The specific topic, program type, or regulatory question at issue
- The geographic scope of interest (national, specific state, or metropolitan area)
- Organizational affiliation, if applicable
- Whether the inquiry relates to a specific page on the site or to a gap in published coverage

For provider classification or listing inquiries:
- The type of service offered (e.g., K–12 bilingual program, private tutoring, online platform, adult education)
- The states or regions served
- Whether the provider holds applicable state licensure or accreditation, and from which body (e.g., state department of education, ACCSC, regional accreditor)
- A description of the population served — for instance, English Learners under ESSA classification, heritage Spanish speakers as defined by ACTFL, or general adult learners

For content correction submissions:
- The URL or page title containing the disputed content
- The exact claim or figure being disputed
- The named public source — such as a U.S. Department of Education publication, ACTFL official guidelines, or state agency regulation — that contradicts the published content

Inquiries that include this information receive substantive responses. Incomplete submissions are returned with a request for the missing detail before routing proceeds.