Deconstructing Anti-Bilingual Ed Myths (2/9/00)

Students are warehoused in bilingual programs for up to 7 years.

On the average, 80% bilingual students in Massachusetts are transitioned into a mainstream program within the first 3 years.

LEP Students achieved a 20% gain in scores in California after Prop. 227

According to Professor Jill Mora of San Diego State University, "the percentile ranking gains for LEP students between 1998 and 1999 were so small as to be statistically insignificant... There was no discernible pattern of differences in gains between districts according to their adherence to 227 requirements. Students in both bilingual programs and structured English immersion showed gains."

While it is too early to draw any broad conclusions, the data did show, however, that among students who took the Stanford 9 Reading tests, LEP students did not achieve up to the language proficiency level where they could perform ordinary classwork in the mainstream class after only one year of either bilingual or immersion instructions.A more accurate and reliable measure of student achievement is to account for the level of English proficiency when the student is taking the test, the socio-economic background of the student, the literacy level of the student, and the type of program the student is involved in, e.g., 2-way bilingual, early exit transitional bilingual, late exit transitional bilingual, structured immersion, or other English-only programs. The data must also be collected and analyzed longitudinally, i.e., over 5 to 6 years or more to track student progress over time. For example, a federal longitudinal study comparing different programs for LEP students (Ramirez 1991) demonstrated that, in terms of student achievement as measured by the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS), there is very little difference between the bilingual programs and immersion programs at the beginning, while the late exit bilingual programs gains actually bypass the national norms by the sixth year. One key statistic that has been left out is that only 15 % of the 1.4 million LEP students were in a truly bilingual program (using 2 languages) taught by credential teachers before the passage of Proposition 227.

Chapter 71A does not offer districts flexibility in educating LEP students.

Chapter 71A gives districts the flexibility to implement programs to suit the levels and needs of the students. It does not mandate how much of the lessons must be in the native language or how much in English, as long as the teachers are bilingual, the students could access the curriculum through comprehensible instructions, and there are English language development through English as a Second Language programs and native language literacy development. Programs range from innovative 2-way bilingual education programs to accelerated basic literacy skills programs for students with very little formal education.

The Glodis bill is the best way to improve bilingual education in Massachusetts.

The following are the best ways to improve bilingual education in Massachusetts

1. Implement the provisions relative to language minority students as mandated by the Education Reform Act of 1993, including developing alternative assessment instruments for Limited English Proficient students; ensuring professional development plans are in place to address the needs of language minority students for all teachers in districts with large language minority populations; and collecting and analyzing required data by the Department of Education to ensure better accountability at the districts.



2. Implement the recommendations of the 1994 Governor’s Study Commission on Bilingual Education, which was not distributed to the legislature or other policy makers. The recommendations include: Whole school change and collaborations among all teachers, requiring annual student achievement reports, mandating high standards, ensuring accountability (more authentic assessment instruments, having longitudinal data on student characteristics and performance and monitoring actual district allocations for bilingual programs, etc.), better low-incidence students support, recruitment of well-prepared teachers, better parental involvement (support for Parents Advisory Councils (PAC) and school site council participation for language minority parents).



3. Roll back the key regulations that were changed or eliminated in 1997 by the Board of Education including having certified director and mandating Parents Advisory Councils.