History of Bilingual Education by

1974: Lau vs. Nichols

Melissa_Leger — 2024-10-12 21:03:44 UTC

Lau vs. Nichols was a case brought in 1970 against the San Francisco School District. It was brought on behalf of Chinese-speaking students, and argued that the students' rights were violated when they didn't receive instruction in a language they could understand. In 1974, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, which led to the Office of Civil Rights issuing the Lau remedies. These required schools to implement measures such as English tutoring, English as a Second Language classes, and some bilingual education. They also forbade English mainstreaming. I believe Lau vs. Nichols and the subsequent Lau remedies are important today because, while inadequate, they set the precedent that students are entitled to at least some accommodation of their linguistic needs.

2001: No Child Left Behind

Melissa_Leger — 2024-10-12 21:07:00 UTC

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was an education act passed during George W. Bush's administration. Its focus was on English acquisition at the expense of bilingual education. NCLB used the term "limited English proficient" (LEP) which promoted a deficiency view of minority language students. NCLB had a strong emphasis on high-stakes testing, which led to even more focus on English-only instruction due to limited accommodations for English Language Learners. I believe the NCLB was important in bilingual education history, unfortunately, because of its detrimental effect on bilingual education programs and students' rights. However, its emphasis on high-stakes testing and the subsequent responsibility placed on schools and teachers was very unpopular.

2015: Every Student Succeeds

Melissa_Leger — 2024-10-12 21:08:11 UTC

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA,)was signed by Barak Obama in 2015 and served to repeal the NCLB. It led to greater flexibility for states in using testing and tracking school. It also requires states to track ELLs' as a separate subgroup, and removes test scores from teachers' evaluations. The ESSA was significant in the history of bilingual education because it represented a step forward and seeks to remedy some of the harm done to bilingual students and programs by the NCLB.

2019: Congressional Caucus on America's Languages

Melissa_Leger — 2024-10-12 21:08:28 UTC

The Congressional Caucus on America's Languages was established in 2019. This is a bipartisan group of members of Congress that is focused on increasing bilingualism and biliteracy in the United States. It seeks to increase programs for world languages, ELLs, and Native Americans. I believe this is significant in the history of bilingual education, because it represents hope for the future. It shows that more people are starting to understand the importance and benefits of bilingualism and a multilingual society. Hopefully this will lead to positive results for bilingual education and minority language speakers.

1998: Proposition 227

Melissa_Leger — 2024-10-12 21:08:44 UTC

Proposition 227 was approved in California in 1998 by 61% of voters, despite Latinx opposition. It practically outlawed bilingual education in favor of English immersion. It led to the passage of similar "English for the Children" propositions in Massachusetts and Arizona. It was finally repealed in 2016 by the passage of Proposition 58, "English Proficiency, Multilingual Education." I believe Proposition 227 is significant in the history of Bilingual Education because it clearly represented a huge step backward from legal protections for bilingual education. However, many programs did survive despite the law, and since Proposition 58 was approved, California is seeking to greatly increase its number of dual language programs