The focus of federally-funded bilingual education programs has shifted over the past 20 years from serving educationally disadvantaged limited English proficient (LEP) students to serving recent immigrants and identifying alternatives to bilingual education. Since the 1960s, the LEP student population has grown increasingly diverse, illiterate, and economically disadvantaged. The following research and program elements are currently being emphasized: (1) reducing the number of at-risk students; (2) developing literacy in the native language; (3) separating native and second language use; (4) developing cognitive/academic language proficiency; (5) viewing students as active learners; (6) using holistic approaches and themes; (7) developing communicative competence; and (8) grouping students for collaborative work. The following implementation issues confront bilingual education in the 1990s: (1) the need to integrate instructional innovations into the bilingual education framework; (2) the need to examine the effect of state education agency prescriptions on LEP students; (3) the need to address the use of student testing to sort, label, and make noninstructional decisions; (4) the need to examine the effect of state procedures on minority and poor students; and (5) the need to assist Hispanic and bilingual teachers to qualify for a teaching degree. Two charts comparing program trends and emphases, a chart illustrating the growth of minority groups, and a list of 28 references are appended. (FMW)