Educators, school administrators, policymakers, and community members are responsible for providing a quality education for all students in the nation's public schools. Traditional and charter schools bear the duty to ensure that special populations of students have access to the best education possible. This responsibility makes it essential for charter school authorizers to not only have knowledge of these diverse student groups, but also to ensure that charter school operators are fulfilling their responsibility of providing quality education for all students. The purpose of this Issue Brief is to provide charter authorizers and school leaders with information about the education of English Language Learners (ELLs), illuminating the legal requirements and sound education practices for these students. This brief will provide authorizers with background information related to ELLs, the state and federal laws that affect the education of ELLs, and the education needs of these children. After reading this brief, authorizers will have a greater understanding of this unique student population and be better prepared to provide oversight to charter schools serving ELLs. (Contains 1 table and 7 endnotes.)