WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Education Department has rescinded critical guidance to schools regarding how they provide English language learning services for roughly 5 million students in U.S. schools.

The Education Department on Tuesday rescinded a 2015 Dear Colleague letter on its website, which served as a guide for school districts that are serving English learners to ensure they're providing adequate resources to their students under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

In a statement to ABC News, the Education Department said the document was "overly prescriptive" and that it micro-managed states.

"States have vastly different needs for this important population of students and are best equipped to determine how best to educate these students while following all applicable federal

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