A national survey of parents of school aged Asian, Puerto Rican, Mexican American, and Cuban students was conducted to examine what educational preferences language minority parents have regarding the role of English and non-English (home) language in the instructional process. A second purpose of the survey was to determine what factors are…

The relationship between bilingualism and cognitive development is explored as an exemplary area in which the disciplinary concerns of cognitive psychology, social psychology, and sociology occur together. A historical review of research shows that many of the apparently contradictory findings about the effects of bilingualism on mental…

Since the enactment of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 many manifestations of self-determination and community control have surfaced in Native communities. During the 1940s the United States Indian Service attempted to initiate cross cultural education but had limited success. The 1960s saw significant education but had limited success. The…

Research literature concerning the effects of incorporating the heritage languages of minority students into the regular school curriculum either as subjects or as mediums of instruction is reviewed. Program evaluations from Canada, the United States, and Europe consistently show that the use of a minority language as a medium of instruction for…

The relationship between Mexican American power and federal funding being tapped for bilingual education by Texas school districts was examined through data from the 1970 Census and the Texas Education Agency's Division of Bilingual Education and information from two key Mexican American advocacy organizations. Although state legislatures, courts,…

One in a series on cultural pluralism and multicultural education, this collection of 10 brief articles focuses on bilingual education with much of the material specific to Spanish-English programs. Dennis Wilson discusses Indian self determination and the task of preserving Indian culture while solving contemporary Indian problems. Lorenzo…

Meta analysis results were compared with a traditional review of bilingual education program effectiveness. When controlled for methodological inadequacies, participation in bilingual education programs consistently produced differences favoring bilingual education. The methodological inadequacies in the synthesized studies highlights the need for…

Research shows that there are many possible positive effects of early bilingual reading upon intellectual growth and general education. An Italian research project dealing with early bilingual literacy is described; the teaching methods used in the project are examined. (RM)

This publication aims to help teachers to more effectively teach math and science to English language learners (ELLs). It argues that the learner's home language can play an important role in his or her science and math learning, whether or not the teacher speaks that language. When students are allowed to use their home language in the classroom,…

This literature review examines research-based information on educational approaches and programs associated with improving the academic performance of Native American students. A search reviewed ERIC's over 8,000 documents on American Indian education, as well as master's and doctoral dissertations and other sources of research on the education…

In the past 25 years, both content and context of American Indian education have changed tremendously, largely due to a dynamic interplay between federal language policy and initiatives generated by Indian schools and communities. This paper integrates a historical analysis of federal language policy with comparative ethnographic data from Indian…

As NAFTA opens the border between the United States and Mexico, the need for binational cooperation in education becomes ever more imperative. This chapter provides a rationale for binational education--the benefits of binational education both for language-minority students and for the majority culture--and describes a variety of cooperative…

This report is based on a community forum convened on May 15, 1991, in Twin Falls, Idaho, to obtain information and views on public education in Idaho; its impact on minorities; and, specifically, the high dropout rate of Hispanics, its causes, and possible solutions. Chapter 1 gives the background of a 1979 lawsuit filed by the Idaho Migrant…

This report offers guidance to those involved in bilingual education who may be or may want to mentor novice teachers in the field. The concept of mentoring is defined, and issues of mentoring implementation and alternatives in bilingual education are discussed, such as language of instruction, culture and instruction, language and cognitive…

This work is one in a series that focuses on nine languages representing the bulk of the second language learning effort in Australian education (Arabic, Modern Standard Chinese, French, German, Modern Greek, Indonesian/Malay, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish). These languages were categorized as the Languages of Wider Teaching. This particular work…