The materials presented here are designed to provide background information and stimulate discussion of bilingual education in a televised town meeting held on May 9, 1996 in Sacramento, California. The meeting, one of a series, is intended as a forum for California high school students, educators, and legislators to engage in dialogue about problems in bilingual education and the role of public policy in addressing them. The materials include essays, documents produced by public and private agencies, legislative texts and excerpts, policy statements, and newspaper and journal articles on two general topics: the relationship of language and culture, particularly in bilingual education, and bilingual education policy and practice. For each topic area, a series of study questions is included. (MSE)