This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Kerry L. Haynie, Kenji Hakuta, Marilyn A. Hirth, IDRA Newsletter, Karla Haworth, Yuko Goto Butler, Manka Varghese, Jungok Bae, Maria Vasquez, and Patricia Gandara.
(2000). How Long Does It Take English Learners To Attain Proficiency?. This document discusses research findings related to the question of how long language minority students need special services such as English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses or bilingual education before they develop oral and academic English proficiency. It draws conclusions based on a study of four different school districts, two in California and two in Canada. Academic English proficiency refers to the ability to use English in academic contexts, which is particularly important for long-term success in school. The data were used to analyze various forms of English proficiency as a function of length of exposure to English. The clear conclusion emerging from the data is that even in the two California districts that are considered the most successful in teaching English to limited-English-proficient (LEP) students, oral proficiency takes 3 to 5 years to develop and academic English proficiency can take 4 to 7 years. Results in Canada were similar. Only one of these three districts offered bilingual education, something that critics often charge delays English acquisition. Analysis also revealed a widening academic performance gap between LEP students and native English speakers. It simply may not be possible to offer adequate language instruction to limited English students within the time allotted during the normal school day, and after school or summer instruction may be needed. Results suggest that policies that assume rapid acquisition of English and call for sheltered English programs lasting no more than 1 year, such as Proposition 227 in California, are wildly unrealistic. (Contains 24 references and 15 figures.) [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Education Programs, Educational Policy
(1998). Miscommunication Between Aboriginal Students and Their Non-Aboriginal Teachers in a Bilingual School, Language, Culture and Curriculum. Suggests that while various models of bilingual education have been implemented in Aboriginal communities in Australia's Northern Territory, the degree to which these programs operate successfully is quite another matter. One example from a particular program outlines the ongoing miscommunication that occurs between Aboriginal students and their non-Aboriginal teachers and the inevitable deleterious educational impact this miscommunication has on the former. Descriptors: Australian Aboriginal Languages, Bilingual Education, Classroom Communication, Communication Problems
(1998). Teachers of English as a Second Language Strive for More Recognition in Academe, Chronicle of Higher Education. Changes are occurring in college-level English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction. An accrediting body has been created for ESL programs to begin using uniform standards to evaluate varied programs. ESL teachers, many teaching part-time in more than one institution, are eager for better recognition of their profession, which has suffered in part from the political debate over bilingual education. Descriptors: Accreditation (Institutions), Accrediting Agencies, Bilingual Education, College Faculty
(1982). An Overview of the Requirements of Special Education (SB 1870) and Bilingual Education (AB 507). Overviews are presented of the legal requirements for special education and bilingual education in California. Specific legislation affecting each is reviewed. Special education legislation requires such actions as psychological and health assessments for selected students, full-scale reassessments every 3 years for students remaining in special education, and placement of the student in the least restrictive environment. Bilingual legislation includes provisions for diagnostic assessment, placement in inappropriate bilingual programs, and staffing of bilingual programs with trained and credentialed teachers. Similarities between special and bilingual education legislation are examined, including the concept of equal education opportunity on which they are based. Relationships between bilingual and special education practices in student identification, diagnosis/assessment, and placement are examined. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Disabilities, Elementary Secondary Education, Equal Education
(1998). Legislative Updates: Indiana, Journal of Education Finance. Identifies current problems and education issues confronting the Indiana legislature and predicts some issues the upcoming session will likely consider. A new "reward for effort" tax-base formula has resulted in urban districts receiving the lowest share of state revenue and rural districts the highest. Funding for textbooks, bilingual education, and summer school may pass during 1999, but not during the short 1998 session. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Educational Equity (Finance), Educational Finance, Elementary Secondary Education
(1989). NABE Annual Conference Journal 1988-1989. This document contains papers from two NABE annual conferences: (17th, Houston, Texas, April 27-May 1, 1988) and (18th, Miami, Florida, May 9-13, 1989). Papers cover three categories: (1) bilingual education and bilingualism: realities in the twentieth century; (2) current ideologies and models in bilingual education; and (3) effective instructional strategies in bilingual education. The following papers are included: "Challenging Mainstream Myths with Bilingual Excellence" (Ana Zentella); "Bilingualism in Canadian Education" (Georges Duquette); "Demographic Characteristics of Hispanic Students in Higher Education" (Julia Coll); "Bilingual Teachers' Ideologies in the Integration of Hispanic and Southeast Asian Immigrant Students: An Initiative Between Practitioners and Researchers" (Martha Montero-Sieburth); "Integrating Language and Context in the Preparation of Bilingual Teachers" (Robert D. Milk); "A Model for Implementing Bilingual Education" (Roy Howard); "The Effective Schools Movement: Implication for Title VII and Bilingual Education Projects" (Betty Mace-Matluck); "Contextual Elements in a Bilingual Cooperative Setting: The Experiences of Early Childhood LEP Learners" (Lilliam Malave); "Analyzing Hispanic Students' Science Problem-Solving Skills" (Stephanie Knight, Kersholt Waxman); "Examining the Cognitive Reading Strategies Used by Hispanic Elementary Students While Reading Spanish" (Yolanda Padron); "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Writing on the Comprehension and Retention of Content Reading in Bilingual Students" (Andrea Bermudez, Doris Prater); "The Effects of Parent Education Programs on Parent Participation" (Andrea Bermudez, Yolanda Padron); and "Construction of a Phonological Development Test in Spanish and English (PHDESE) for Bilingual Children" (Virginia Gonzales). [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Teachers, Bilingualism, Cognitive Processes
(2000). The Schooling of English Learners, University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute. An increasing number of students entering California's schools come from non-English speaking backgrounds. Although some of these language minority students enter school already proficient in English, the majority do not. These students are now referred to as English learners. There are several reasons why Californians need to pay careful attention to the schooling of language minority students in their public schools. First, language minority students now constitute more than one-third of all students in California's schools–a proportion that will grow even higher in the future. Clearly, the success of California's students and schools will increasingly depend on the state's ability to successfully educate language minority students. Second, English learners require a specialized curriculum and properly trained teachers to support their development of English literacy. Complicating matters is the fact that these students, even as they learn English, must also have access to the rest of the required academic curriculum if they are to keep pace with their English-speaking cohorts. Third, the education of English learners has been highly politicized. Controversy centers around the use of native language instruction–whether it is better to first develop the native language literacy of English learners and provide initial academic content through bilingual education or, on the other hand, to simply immerse them in English and provide initial academic content through simplified English instruction. While existing evidence generally supports the bilingual approach, the research is hotly debated and far from conclusive regarding which general approach makes more sense for which students and under what conditions. At the same time, there is a growing political movement in many states to mandate, through voter initiatives, English-only instruction. In June 1998, California voters approved Proposition 227, an initiative that greatly restricted the use of bilingual education. [More] Descriptors: Enrollment Trends, English (Second Language), Language Minorities, Language Proficiency
(1980). Bilingual Vocational Instructor Training. Information Series No. 201. This report discusses the background, needs, and major issues in preparing bilingual vocational instructors. Following a brief discussion of the significance of bilingual vocational instructor training, the second section uses statistics in describing potential recipients of bilingual vocational education and discusses the growth of bilingual education activities to serve them. In separate sections legislative developments that have influenced bilingual education are analyzed and bilingual vocational programs currently in progress for which instructors are needed are overviewed. The major section of the report focuses on the training of these instructors through (1) a conceptualization of the role itself (including bilingual, vocational, and instructional aspects), (2) an overview of eight significant training efforts nationwide, and (3) a discussion of issues involved in designing training, programs, such as basic approaches of training programs, competencies needed by the instructors, certification, career objectives, and language skill. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Teachers, Educational Legislation, Federal Legislation
(2002). The Impact of Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language Programs on Acquisition of the New York State Learning Standards. The advent of universal accountability has provided the opportunity to evaluate the progress of students who have had programs to address limited English proficiency. As part of the New York statewide assessment system, students are identified as belonging to these categories: (1) never having been identified as limited English proficient (LEP); (2) LEP and below the 30th percentile on a test of English reading (with reference to norms based on students in the general or monolingual curriculum); (3) LEP and at or above the 30th percentile; and (4) former LEP students. In general, on the grade 4 and 8 examinations in English Language Arts and Mathematics, former LEP students do not score as well as those who were never identified as LEP. This is counter to theory about the effectiveness of programs for these students. However, in the absence of information about the quality and scope of programs students have had, and in view of the disproportionate representation of LEP students in less affluent school districts, it is impossible to conclude from these data anything about the statewide intervention as a whole. A number of studies have been conducted to control for factors that influence performance: the community type in which students attend school and the representation of LEP students in the school's test taking population. When these factors are controlled, the test scores on the four examinations are much more consistent with bilingual education theory. After controlling for community needs/resource category (a proxy for school district affluence), former LEP students score higher than students who were never identified as LEP. Three appendixes contain analysis of variance summary tables. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Students, Elementary Secondary Education
(2000). Encyclopedia of Minorities in American Politics. Volume 2: Hispanic Americans and Native Americans. The American Political Landscape Series. The last 30 years of U.S. political history have seen dramatic strides in the impact that minorities play in U.S. politics. This second volume of a two-volume set addresses the historical and contemporary impact of two of the largest minority groups in the United States. Divided into two sections, the encyclopedia addresses the political struggles of Hispanic Americans and Native Americans. The work draws attention to those events, people, and ideas that have shaped, and will continue to shape, the political dialogue of a diverse country. The entries cover people, events, court cases, movements, and organizations that have shaped the political struggles of these 2 groups. Longer entries address some of the key issues that face minorities in U.S. politics today. These "issue entries," such as those on affirmative action, immigration, bilingual education, and political participation were written to give context to current politics and to show how these issues might be resolved. For example, the entry for education features a discussion of bilingual education, assimilation, boarding schools for Indian children, the Meriam Report of 1928, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Every entry has a bibliography that can serve as the next step for further research by the user of the volumes. In addition to bibliographies, entries are cross-referenced internally through the use of bold-faced type and "See also" listings at the end of the entry to offer other areas the reader may want to investigate. Appendixes include reprints of selected important documents and speeches; a directory of organizations that are directly or indirectly involved in politics is provided for each minority group; and a timeline. Descriptors: American Indians, Citizenship, Civil Rights, Encyclopedias
(1995). Language Acquisition and Development. IDRA Focus. This theme issue focuses on strategies to enhance learning of English as a second language and on the importance of bilingual education. In "Bilingual Education Makes the Difference in Learning," Roberto Feliz, who was born in the Dominican Republic and is now a doctor, describes how bilingual education saved him from academic failure and enabled him to become an honors student. "Conversational Insights: On Combining Literature, the Arts, and Technology for Language and Literacy Development" (Juanita Garcia, Laura Chris Green) discusses strategies for using children's literature, dramatics, art activities, word processing, and CD-ROM programs to promote second language development, bilingualism, and biliteracy. "Valued Tutors Write" (Aurelio M. Montemayor) describes the many writing activities of student tutors in a nationally recognized cross-age tutoring program, as well as the specific literacy skills developed by those activities. "Blessed with Bilingual Brains: Is It a Fact or a False Belief?" (Frank Gonzalez) discusses language acquisition by children in bilingual environments, implications for bilingual education, and the advantages of bilingualism. "Commentary: The State of Bilingual Education and the Need To Speak Out" (Maria "Cuca" Robledo Montecel) calls for bilingual teachers to be advocates of bilingual education and the rights of children to excellent education. "Why Bilingual Education Is Important to Me" features three essays by bilingual elementary school children. "The Parent Connection in Language Acquisition" (Ninta Adame-Reyna) explains how parent involvement in native-language literacy development at home can help students develop second-language (English) literacy in school, and provides tips to enhance such parental involvement. This issue also contains a book review by Pam McCollum of "Instructional Assessment: An Integrative Approach to Evaluating Student Performance" (Sandra H. Fradd, Patria L. McGee, Diane K. Wilen) and a list of additional readings on language acquisition and development. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingualism, Class Activities, Cross Age Teaching
(2004). The Continua of Biliteracy and the Bilingual Educator: Educational Linguistics in Practice, International Journal of Bilingual Education & Bilingualism. The continual model of biliteracy offers a framework in which to situate research, teaching, and language planning in linguistically diverse settings; bilingual teacher education represents a conjunction of all three of these and hence, a good candidate for applying the continual model. This paper uses selected experiences in language teacher education as practised at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education to illustrate the potential of the continua model as heuristic in continually (re)writing the bilingual or language educator's knowledge base in response to the demands of educational policy and practice. A series of vignettes serves as a means for exploring dilemmas confronting bilingual (and language) educators and ways in which the continua model might shape a response: the global/local dilemma–global social, cultural, and political trends as contexts for biliteracy; the standard/nonstandard dilemma–media of biliteracy as reflected in evolving views of language and literacy in the world; the language/content dilemma–enquiry-based teacher education as an approach to the development of biliteracy; and the language/culture/identity dilemma–teachers' and learners' identities and cultures as they relate to biliteracy content. The paper concludes with a few comments on bilingual educators as researchers, teachers, and language planners and on the need, now more than ever, for bilingual educators to be advocates. [More] Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Form Classes (Languages), Linguistics, Language Teachers
(2004). Professional Development for Bilingual Teachers in the United States: A Site for Articulating and Contesting Professional Roles, International Journal of Bilingual Education & Bilingualism. Professional development for bilingual teachers has traditionally been viewed as a neutral site for training teachers. In the present study, a professional development for bilingual teachers in the United States is explored through ethnographic methods, specifically focusing on both the content delivery, and the interactions between teacher educators and teachers. The present study shows how professional development can become a site for the articulation and contestation of bilingual teacher professional roles. Specifically, it demonstrates how conceptualisations of the roles of bilingual teachers are often mired with differences and lack uniformity, especially because of the different backgrounds and settings teacher educators and teachers operate within. It points to the need to understand the different perspectives within the bilingual educational community. This research places bilingual teacher education within current understandings of learning and professional development, emphasising the situated nature of teaching and learning. Bilingual teachers and their development must be understood as agents who make choices and have differentiated understandings of their profession, rather than as individuals who replicate the content and way they have been trained. This is especially important when we understand the multifaceted roles of bilingual teachers such as language policy agents and advocates. [More] Descriptors: Teacher Educators, Professional Development, Ethnography, Bilingualism
(1998). A Latent Variable Approach to Listening and Reading: Testing Factorial Invariance Across Two Groups of Children in the Korean/English Two-Way Immersion Program, Language Testing. A study investigated the factorial distinctiveness of two receptive language skills, listening and reading, and the equivalence of factor structure across two groups. Subjects were 156 students, Korean-Americans and non-Korean-Americans, in grades two through four in a two-way bilingual education program. Students were tested in listening and reading in Korean. Implications for both linguistic research and methodology are discussed. Descriptors: Elementary Education, English, English (Second Language), Grade 2
(1997). NABE News, 1996-1997, NABE News. The eight issues of the newsletter of the National Association for Bilingual Education contain articles on these topics in relation to bilingual education: federal policy and policy formation; teacher qualifications; the English-only movement; parent involvement; reading instruction; the effect of foreign-language schools on children's acculturation; education of American Indians; Asian/Pacific education concerns; cultural literacy; federal resource allocation; global learning networks; early childhood education; pre-literate older (late elementary/secondary school) students; learning culture through children's literature; electronic portfolios for student assessment; using graphic organizers for bilingual literacy education; communication with and within families; gifted education; Internet search tools; writing instruction; empowering language minority children in the mainstream; court litigation; learning strategy instruction; biculturalism; school-to-work programs; teacher education; and educational technology. Book reviews, resource listings, and professional announcements are also included in each issue. [More] Descriptors: Acculturation, American Indians, Asian Americans, Bilingual Education