Aspects of state planning for language in education in Arkansas are examined and of several models of language planning that illuminate this case are analyzed. Information was gathered on language minority populations in Arkansas from census data, reports, and public and private sources. From this, an overall picture of language planning in the state was constructed. Three case studies of areas with language minority populations are used to illustrate the findings: the Hmong in Fort Smith; the Springdale School District; and Paragould Junior High School. As background, the evolution of state policy on English as the official language and on intervention with limited-English-proficient students is chronicled. The case studies are then outlined. In Fort Smith, federally-funded bilingual education was not able to serve the Hmong population, which later relocated to Georgia. The Springdale School District obtained federal funds to train teachers for rapid transitional bilingual education, to mainstream students as quickly as possible. In Paragould, the arrival of two Hispanic junior high school students, an unusual occurrence, caused school personnel to improvise, successfully, by treating the students' native language as a resource, not a barrier. It is concluded that Arkansas' decentralization of policy concerning language in education and the state's limited financial resources suggest that policy supporting native language maintenance may not be feasible. (MSE)