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Research Backs Bilingual Education, Despite Administration Efforts of Bilingual Erasure

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Research Backs Bilingual Education, Despite Administration Efforts of Bilingual Erasure

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While federal law requires schools to provide language services for students classified as English learners, states and local districts have broad discretion in the types of education programming to use in helping them acquire English.

Robust research studies since at least the 1980s have found the most effective programs to be some form of bilingual education, such as dual-language immersion, in which students learn academic content in both English and another world language.

But the Trump administration has moved to downplay multilingualism in education and the federal government.

In March, he signed an executive order declaring English the nation's official language. In July, the U.S. Department of Justice released guidance for federal agencies on implementing the order, emphasizing English-language education and assimilation over multilingual services. The White House's federal budget proposal also calls for the elimination of federal dollars dedicated to English learners stemming from previous federal encouragement of bilingualism.

Researchers gathered in June for a webinar hosted by SEAL, a California-based nonprofit advocating for multilingual learners, and New America, a left-leaning think tank, to review the benefits of bilingual education even amid shifting federal language priorities, and what work remains to ensure English learners' access to programs.

Research backs bilingual education for English learners

Bilingual education is often regarded as an umbrella term for programs that teach academic content in more than one language. These programs vary widely: who can enroll in them, how long the programs run, the balance between English and the partner language, who teaches classes, and what the long-term goals are, said Ilana Umansky, an associate professor at the University of Oregon, said in the webinar.

Research studies on the relative effectiveness of bilingual programs have drawn on methods that allow for causal inference, meaning researchers can identify the direct effects of being in a bilingual program compared with having not been in a bilingual program, Umansky said. Overall, these studies find that while there is variation in the quality and effectiveness of individual bilingual programs-just like there is variation in the effectiveness of any program-on average, bilingual programs benefit students, particularly English-learner classified students, more than being in an English-only program.

Some of the key benefits these studies have found include:

Better academic outcomes for English learners in language arts, math, social studies, and science.

Stronger academic outcomes in their home or heritage language.

English learners becoming more likely to graduate and graduate with a regular diploma.

English learners becoming more likely to reclassify out of an English-learner status (although research suggests that it can take a little longer, on average, for these students to be reclassified, but more of them eventually do).

Improvement in students' academic and personal self-confidence.

Improved family-engagement opportunities.

But even as decades of research highlight these benefits, researchers in the webinar spoke of the challenges for English learners to access bilingual programs.

Work remains to expand access to bilingual programs

The vast majority of multilingual learners in schools are in English-only educational programs, in spite of an ample research base that supports bilingual education, said Kate Menken, a professor of linguistics at Queens College of the City University of New York.

"Even though research evidence is really clear, ... language policy decisions are at times more political than they are pedagogical," she added.

And even as more schools and states invest in bilingual education programs, it's important to ensure that English learners get a seat in these classrooms, especially as more privileged families seek these programs out for their own children, Menken said.

"We want to make sure that we hold true to the original social-justice aims of those programs," Menken said.

States also need to think about teacher-training requirements and expectations for all teachers working with English learners, and especially those working in bilingual programs, Chris Montecillo Leider, an assistant professor of multilingual learner education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, told webinar attendees.

In a study she conducted in 2020, Montecillo Leider found that many states at the time didn't have a core requirement like a sheltered English-immersion endorsement for all teachers. Several states also didn't even have credentials for teaching in a bilingual education setting.

And as districts consider opening more bilingual programs, they should make sure the programs are in neighborhoods where multilingual students can have access to them, Umansky said. That includes making sure that multilingual students who have disabilities and who are newcomer immigrants are not excluded.

All researchers on the webinar also spoke of ways to promote bilingualism in schools with multiple languages, such as relying on community liaisons to help connect with students and families in their home languages, stocking up on bilingual books, and allowing students to engage in translanguaging in classrooms even when teachers don't speak their language.

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Bilingual Education vs. English-Only: What the Research Says

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Researchers shared findings from decades of studies on the effects of bilingual education at a June webinar.

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I think that in a world where an administration is just blatantly ignoring science and choosing to put forth their own agenda, we now more than ever have to try and preserve what we know works as educators. The science backs up that having dual language is beneficial to not just kids where English is not their first language, but instead to everyone who get the opportunity to be around dual language. It's a disgrace that our administration is pushing forth some absolutely crazy ideology that there is superiority in people despite the fact that we are a nation built on different cultures and built by people who originate from different places. We can see this by the fact that in March, trump signed an executive order declaring ENGLISH as our country's national language. The fact that he is trying to not only alter our country's national makeup, but almost get rid of an entire group of people by signing orders that minimize their existence. There is no benefit to making this country an English-only speaking country. In fact it makes us move down in the rankings of education. There is so much benefit to bilingual programs... The science shows that. The benefits include:

" • Better academic outcomes for English learners in language arts, math, social studies, and science.

• Stronger academic outcomes in their home or heritage language.

• English learners becoming more likely to graduate and graduate with a regular diploma.

• English learners becoming more likely to reclassify out of an English-learner status (although research suggests that it can take a little longer, on average, for these students to be reclassified, but more of them eventually do).

• Improvement in students’ academic and personal self-confidence.

• Improved family-engagement opportunities."

Why would an administration not be in support of this? Learning multiple languages benefits students... so why not push it forward onto the DOE? Contrastingly, abroad kids in diff countries learn 3 languages in school. Why not take after them, especially when some countries are ranked higher than us in education?

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How the Government Shutdown Affects Schools

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How the Government Shutdown Affects Schools

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By Mark Lieberman - October 03, 2025 1 min read

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For the first time in close to seven years, Congress failed to reach a budget agreement in time for the new fiscal year. As a result, the federal government has shut down, causing nationwide ripple effects with short- and long-term implications for schools.

Congress has struggled in recent years to meet self-imposed appropriations deadlines. The negotiations were particularly contentious this year in the wake of the Trump administration's unprecedented push to unilaterally adjust federal spending decisions to align them with the president's policy preferences.

House Republicans are pushing to extend current federal spending levels for a few weeks or months while Congress works out a full budget. But in the Senate, where the 53-member Republican majority needs seven Democrats to pass budget legislation, Democrats have refused to approve a budget that doesn't include new protections against Republican-approved health-care cuts and President Donald Trump's efforts to circumvent congressional spending decisions.

With no consensus on Capitol Hill for even a portion of the federal budget, agencies began implementing shutdown contingency plans on Oct. 1. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed, threatening the stability of a wide range of social services. Trump and other top officials have also said they plan to use the shutdown as an opportunity to punish Democrats, including with spending cuts for states they lead.

Education Week is tracking the effects of the government shutdown on K-12 schools. Here's the latest.

Mark Lieberman is a reporter for Education Week who covers school finance.

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Events

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How the Federal Government Shutdown Is Affecting Schools: A Tracker

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Education Week is monitoring how the federal government's shutdown is affecting schools and other education functions.

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Trump Admin Cuts Offices of Special Education for Federal DOE 

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Trump Admin Cuts Offices of Special Education for Federal DOE 

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Education Department layoffs hit offices that oversee special education and civil rights enforcement

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The Trump administration started laying off 466 Education Department staffers on Friday amid mass firings across the government meant to pressure Democratic lawmakers over the federal shutdown.

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This article is basically summed up the fact that due to the government shutdown, this current administration's idea of putting pressure on Democrats to come to a resolution is by firing a bunch of employees in the department of education under the special education branch. The administration specifically went after around 2,000 employees in the federal DOE. They got rid of employees that mostly work in implementing things for students with disabilities act, "All workers except a small number of top officials are being fired at the office that implements the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a federal law that ensures millions of students with disabilities get support from their schools, the union said. Unknown numbers are being fired at the Office for Civil Rights, which investigates complaints of discrimination at the nation's schools and universities". This is really a dark time for education and educators should be very worried. In a time where there is already a group of students being marginalized and targeted, this administration specifically went after another group of students who may need help. Students losing support with special needs is so sad and it ties into students with ELL

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154,000 NYC Students Faced Homelessness Last Year

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154,000 NYC Students Faced Homelessness Last Year

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154,000 NYC Students Were Homeless Last School Year, Another Record High

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The staggering total, which includes students who lived in shelters along with those doubled up with family or friends, is larger than the entire Dallas school system.

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This article was brought to my attention due to the upcoming mayoral election debate. I like to try and ensure that I do my due diligence with researching the best candidate to represent ALL New Yorkers. When watching this debate I heard that over 154,000 children were experiencing homelessness living in the shelter. The article goes on to tell more heartbreaking stats about all of the students who dont live in homes and are expected to preform well in school. The article goes on to say that there are more homeless children in NYC than there are in the Dallas TX school district which is crazy to think about.

This obviously poses as an issue for students to be able to be expected to do well and thrive academically when so many of them face obstacles outside of just regular circumstances. Some of them come home to shelters and often face instability and lack of support. We as teachers need to be able to ensure that we are doing what is needed to give those students the best chance to succeed and thrive. Teachers need not only need to be able to support these students, but they need support TO support these students. Leaving it to the teachers is unfair and there needs to be support from higher ups not just in administration, but also the local government.

Lastly, this actually relates to ELL because the article states that a majority of these students that are facing homelessness are actually migrant students. Teachers not only need to know how to support these students academically, but the fact that a majority of these students are English language learners who are facing home instability, just further proves the necessity of culturally accepting and inclusive teachers. If we know these students are already facing homelessness, we know that their time in the class is their only form of organization and stability. We have to be able to support them as best as we can, both in and out of the classroom, to give them the best chance at life.

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When people hear about a government shutdown, they think that people that work in public sectors such as teacher are automatically affected. My own mom thought that during a gov shutdown, teachers didn't need to go to work because they would eventually close the schools (she's a teacher LOL). The truth is, it's not as simple as that. There are a lot of processes that happen before something like that would ever happen, and I don't even think that's something that would even occur (although you can't put anything past this current administration). When it comes to education there are some things that get slashed financially which ultimately affects schools and their ability to run federally. This article pretty much outlines what is to be expected with the financial cuts to the federal DOE.

One thing I found really interesting was that things like Headstart is one of the first things affected where payment to workers are halted. This is really important and crazy to think about because Headstart is where a lot of younger kids get their foundation of education, especially when kids are younger than school age. This is significant because a lot of the time parents who work will put their children in Headstart in hopes for them to receive an education, but also to them to be able to have their kids in a safe place to learn and thrive while the parents can make money. This is crazy considering this directly impacts working class families and puts them in the predicament of finding childcare while they work which is often costly. This can directly impact ELL learners since often times they and their families come here in search for a better life and the opportunity to work. If the parents are stuck unable to find childcare they're more likely to stay home and those kids are not given the opportuntniy to learn the foundations of English and socialize with other children their age. This is a direct attack on ELL students at large because they are the ones that not only benefit from the Headstart system, but often need it most.

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Trump’s travel ban keeps international students from coming to the US for college

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Trump’s travel ban keeps international students from coming to the US for college

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Trump’s travel ban keeps international students from coming to the US for college

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Thousands of students who planned to attend U.S. universities this fall are among those impacted by President Donald Trump’s travel ban on 19 countries.

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Though this article is not necessarily about emergent bilinguals exactly, it still relates to the rhetoric of how bilinguals and foreign students have been marginalized by the current administration as of late. Unfortunately, there have been 12 countries that have barred students from entering the country due to an international travel ban. These countries span from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and some in the Caribbean.

After reading the different interviews from the international students who are struggling trying to get a higher education, I reflected on how sad it is that foreign countries view America as a great place of opportunity. So many international students dream of coming to America and receiving an education that is universally regarded as a ticket to opportunity. With an American college degree and American job, students are able to earn not only more money, but also more freedom. A lot of these students come to American because of its rich history in having the opportunity to climb your way to the top.

I think that this ban is really terrible and just honest, deliberate discrimination. The fact that most of these countries are countries that have students that are generally people of color feels targeted considering the xenophobic rhetoric on the rise in addition to the normalization of white nationalism. Preventing students of color from receiving an education and preventing them from being able to be apart of the American job force is a distinct attack on the opportunity for students of color from different countries.

I think that this has an indirect effect on bilinguals because the more America pushes diversity out, the more it'll be normalized and they will be marginalized.

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What Families Want: New Data on Public Demand for Bilingual Education

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What Families Want: New Data on Public Demand for Bilingual Education

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What Families Want: New Data on Public Demand for Bilingual Education

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This is an abbreviated version of the full report—to read it in full, click here. The United States has long benefited from its ability to attract and

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To end my final journal response, I wanted to end this project on a high note. As we've seen, most of my journal responses tend to be me trashing the current government's administration. Though completely warranted, I wanted to try and find a news article that wasn't so political. I want to find an article that had some good news about emergent bilinguals and education.

In this article, we learned that families actually really want their children enrolled in bilingual programs, "Three core themes emerged in the survey and the bilingual focus groups with Latine families.

First, families consistently identified bilingualism as a benefit and priority for their children. Nearly all participants were eager to discuss how Spanish-language proficiency for themselves and their children conditioned relationships with their extended families in the United States and elsewhere, their shared cultural heritage, and their sense of identity as Latines". This is incredible news considering there's major emphasis on forcing kids to speak English, especially those that can speak two or more languages. The fact that families want their kids to be able speak multiple languages is amazing. It shows that want their kids to be multi-faceted and able to communicate either people within their own communities. That is a beautiful and wonderful thing... not just for emergent bilinguals, but for everyone.

In my search, I had a little trouble finding articles that weren't political. What I actually learned and realized is bilingual education IS political. Education IS political. Everything IS political, because everything is intertwined. This is intersectionality. You cannot talk about bilingual education without bringing up politics because they are interconnected. Trump and his administration may be trying to push forth this idea that we are a single language speaking country where we are all under one culture of being American, but thats far from the truth. WE are a country built up from immigrants. the people thrive for community and flourish with diversity. And though this will be a long 4 years, celebrating our wins where we can get them is so important. This is a win. This is a win not just for bilinguals, but for everyone.