Eugene E. Garcia

Sounding American: The Consequences of New Reforms on English Language Learners.

The authors highlight the omission of English language learners and their unique needs from reports such as that of the U.S. National Reading Panel. Situating their conversation in a sociocultural and socioeconomic context, they discuss how schools can and should help all children.

The Bilingual Education Act: Language Minority Students and Equal Educational Opportunity

Abstract This paper traces the Bilingual Education Act (BEA) from its inception in 1968 through its most recent reauthorization in 1994 as the primary federal legislative effort to provide equal educational opportunity to language minority students. Federal legislative initiatives which provide the foundation for the BEA are discussed. The polemic between two philosophical positions, assimilation and multiculturalism, is introduced along with the need for further colloquy. The evolution of the BEA from its inception in 1968 through its reauthorization in 1994 is analyzed. Finally, the authors comment on the current proposed reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the future of Title VII.

The Education of Limited English Proficient Students in California Schools: An Assessment of the Influence of Proposition 227 in Selected Districts and Schools

Abstract Two separate but interrelated studies are reported regarding the implementation of Proposition 227 in California. The first “in-the-field” pilot study was conducted during a period of eight months after the passage of Proposition 227 in June 1998. The pilot study consisted of eight school districts selected in 1998–99 from a statewide group involved addressing issues of Proposition 227 implementation. The second study took place in 1999–2000. The purpose of this study was to gather information regarding the implementation of Proposition 227 a year after its passage from a more representative sample of districts throughout the state. The data from first and second year studies provides documentation of local policy articulations related to the specific program implementation of Proposition 227. In general, sampled districts, schools, and classroom teachers have not ignored Proposition 227. Its implementation, however, has not produced a “sea of change” in programmatic efforts for LEP students nor any marked differential achievement gains on standardized exams. Instead, previous programmatic efforts seem to dictate the specific implementation strategies regarding the new state mandate, and ELL students showed similar patterns of test achievement when compared to non-ELL students.

Educating culturally and linguistically diverse preschoolers: Moving the agenda

Despite growing interest in childrens policy and in research regarding childhood bilingualism and language acquisition, much concern exists regarding the early care and education of linguistically and culturally diverse preschoolers. This article attributes comparative policy inattention to linguistically and culturally diverse preschoolers to several causes including widely and tenaciously held personal beliefs, political ideologies, misperceptions regarding the lack of a demographic imperative, and academic disciplinary fragmentation. After questioning these causes, the authors explore the current state of todays practice, suggesting that four fundamental issues must be addressed if policy and practice in this domain are to improve: (1) socialization, resocialization, and the family/child relationship; (2) modalities of instruction; (3) contextually discontinuous strategies; and (4) subsystem creation versus system reform. Each issue is discussed, and action principles and leadership strategies are presented in hopes of moving an action agenda to assure linguistically and culturally diverse preschoolers access to high quality and developmentally appropriate preschool experiences.

Chapter 2: Legacy of Brown: Lau and Language Policy in the United States

T he 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 also recalls the anniversary of Lau v. Nichols, decided exactly 20 years later in 1974. The two decisions were monumental in the history of civil rights and, interestingly, have shared similarities in the ways in which they have been reinterpreted since they were first decided several decades ago. The history of both of these decisions reminds us that the struggle for civil rights in the United States is not over. The great promise of this democracy is an equal opportunity to affect the decisions and the laws that rule our lives. The great challenge is to make good on that promise. Brown v. Board of Education and Lau v. Nichols are both morality tales about the inherent difficulty of sustaining minority rights in the face of majority interests. In this chapter, we argue that the two cases have been intertwined in interesting ways and that three types of strategies have been used to undermine both decisions: legal, regulatory, and public relations. In concert, these strategies have been at least moderately effective in undoing the promise of equity that each decision represented.

Early Academic Achievement of Hispanics in the United States: Implications for Teacher Preparation

Hispanics account for over one-fifth of newborns in the United States, and Hispanic children, on average, achieve at much lower levels from kindergarten forward than the non-Hispanic white majority and Asian Americans. One of the most important educational challenges for the U.S. is to increase markedly the percentage of Hispanic children who enter kindergarten “ready” for school. Given that the early childhood years provide possibly the best window for improving academic trajectories for Hispanic children, this paper describes what is currently known about and offers recommendations to expand and improve early childhood education for Hispanics, including the preparation of teachers who serve these children.

The Bilingual Education Act: Language Minority Students and US Federal Educational Policy

This paper traces the United States Bilingual Education Act (BEA) from its inception in 1968 through its most recent reauthorisation in 1994 as the primary federal legislative effort to provide equal educational opportunity to language minority students in the United States. The first section introduces the polemic between two ideological positions, assimilation and multiculturalism, which have had a determinant effect on reauthorisations of the BEA. The second section introduces federal legislation and litigation which introduced the framework of equal educational opportunity during the 1960s and 1970s. The third section follows the evolution of the BEA from its inception in 1968 through its reauthorisation in 1994 and includes a description of key litigation that has served to articulate the specific rights of language minority students. The fourth section presents the current scene, both the reauthorisation of the BEA and significant state initiatives. In the conclusion the authors acknowledge that federal educational policy related to language minority students should be viewed within the broader international context.

Better Informing Efforts to Increase Latino Student Success in Higher Education.

Student-oriented institutional research capacities of colleges and universities provide the means to gather, combine, and analyze a great deal of information about students’ academic preparation for undergraduate and for graduate education, their academic and other experiences while pursuing their degrees, and their academic progress and development. Thus, these capacities represent an extremely valuable resource for leaders of colleges and universities as they seek to develop more effective policies, programs, and practices for improving academic outcomes for Latinos in higher education. This article offers a number of recommendations for using institutional research capacities for this purpose.

Voices from the Field: Bilingual Educators Speak Candidly About Proposition 227

Abstract This paper presents findings from a mini-study on the reactions of California bilingual educators to the implementation of Proposition 227. Overall, the concerns of these educators are consistent with those reported in other studies of educators throughout California. Teachers worry about the erosion of primary language programs, about the imposition of English-only standardized testing, and about the lack of clear leadership on policy and practice for language minority students. Administrators are concerned mainly with issues of interpretation of the law, of accountability, and of communication with parents and community. The authors conclude that, not surprisingly, teachers and administrators continue to be pragmatic, serving their students as best they can despite adversity.

Interactive journals in bilingual classrooms: An analysis of language “transition”

Interactive student‐teacher journal entries of first‐, third‐, and fifth‐grade Spanish‐English bilingual classrooms were examined for an 8‐month period. The focus of the analysis was the “transition” of student writing from the native language to the second language in these entries. The results of the study indicate that students did not make a “transition” from the native language to the second language. Students adopted a communicative mode best described as bilingual, shifting language use within and between journal entries. No distinct pattern of shifting was found. However, students’ writing mechanics were found to be equal in both languages. Teachers’ communicative responses were found to influence the language and the character of the student entries. The findings suggest that mandatory “transitioning” of language‐minority students may not be an appropriate instructional strategy. Instead, “self‐transitioning” instructional environments should be considered.