This paper examines the negotiations that occur in a specific educational setting when traditional student placement practices are challenged and redesigned in an effort to better meet the needs of English language learners. The settings for these negotiations is an elementary school where over 90 percent of the students are native English…

This paper examines the relationship between bilingual and English monolingual populations in a setting where English monolingualism is the norm for most students and teachers. The power dynamics underlying this relationship influence local meanings and practices related to bilingualism and the instruction of second language learners. Student…