Group members: Sandra Martinez, Jamie Santos, Terence Tan, Nico Lugo, Kevin Yang, and Andrey Koenig

Relevance:

• Reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). 

• Replaced Bilingual Education Act (Title VII) with the Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students program (Title III). 

• English only education initiative modeled after CA Prop 227

• Mandated English learners be placed in a one year English immersion program rather than bilingual classrooms 

  
  

  Relevance: 

  • Measure effectively dismantled bilingual education in Arizona

    • Furthered national trend toward English-only instruction 

  • Demonstrated how voter driven ballot initiatives could override educational research and professional recommendation in favor of politically motivated language policies 
    

NCLB did not ban bilingual education but effectively marginalized it by emphasizing high-stakes testing in English and removing all references to bilingual programs from federal legislation. This policy shift pressured schools to adopt English-only instruction, further weakening bilingual education efforts across the country.

She has been a strong advocate for bilingual education, providing research-based evidence on the benefits of bilingual programs for academic achievement and long-term success. Her work has influenced policymakers and educators by highlighting disparities in education for English learners, particularly in states that eliminated bilingual education.

In October of 2005, more than 20% of students enrolled in public schools in the United States were children of immigrant families who were born in the United States.

Relevance: 

• Many of these students were able to fare well in their studies and found little to no issues in their education

• However, students from immigrant communities where English is not the predominant language often struggled the most with English Proficiency

• As of 2006, a study of California’s EL’s found that the typical EL student had a 40% chance of being reclassified as a “proficient English speaker” within 10 years of schooling, meaning that the majority of students who are in these programs are often unable to demonstrate sufficient academic proficiency in English.

From 2000-2010, the population of language minority children has grown substantially faster than the overall population.

Relevance: 

• Between 1979 and 2006, the number of school-aged children who spoke a language other than English increased by 185% compared with 20% of the total population.

• Such a rise in population indicates an increasingly globalized world where language proficiency is incredibly important among all cultures.

Spanish was the native language of almost 77% of ELs, followed by Vietnamese (2.4%) and Hmong (1.8%) as of 2003.

Relevance:

• Such distribution presents a good indication of emerging cultures within the United States. Increased influence from immigrants from Latin-Americans and Asian communities stands as strong evidence of an increasingly global American population.

• It is important to preserve and develop English alongside these foreign languages in order to foster an environment that is safe and familiar for English learners.

• Learning and actively using more than one language can improve students cognitive ability and better prepare them for an increasingly globalized world

• Research suggests that bilingual or multilingual individuals often show improved task-switching, learning, and communication skills

Cultural Respect and Global Citizenship:

• Learning multiple languages can assist students in better understanding other languages’ cultures and therefore learn and develop a better understanding of something that is foreign

• Increased understanding of other cultures fights against racism and hate. By educating a young domestic generation on the foreign world, less political and racial tensions may arise. 

• Effective bilingual education requires well-trained, bilingual teachers, materials, and usually smaller class sizes or specialized programs. These can be costly and difficult to source.

• If underfunded or poorly executed, bilingual programs may not achieve their intended goals and could disrupt learning in other academic areas. 

  
  

Gándara, P., & Rumberger, R. W. (2009). Immigration, language, and education: How does language policy structure opportunity? Teachers College Record, 111(3), 750–782.

Gándara, Patricia, and Russell W. Rumberger. “Immigration, language, and education: How does language policy structure opportunity?” Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, vol. 111, no. 3, Mar. 2009, pp. 750–782, https://canvas.ucsd.edu/courses/60929/files/13985875?module_item_id=2583405.