This collection of essays focuses on issues in bilingual education. First, Elizabeth Flynn examines different kinds of bilingual programs; efforts made towards cultural pluralism in a number of countries; national benefits to be derived from bilingualism; the needs of American ethnic groups, new immigrants, and foreign students; and the pros and…

The intent of this paper is to discuss the principal issues and interacting factors of basic importance in the planning and development of university programs to prepare bilingual teaching professionals. After a brief discussion of two approaches in planning and designing new teacher preparation programs, the "redo" method and the…

Transcripts of weekly programs broadcast by National Public Radio on bilingual education are presented with Wendy Blair and John Merrow. Contents are as follows: (1) Introduction; (2) "History of Bilingual Education" by Noel Epstein; (3) "Passamaquoddy Language Instruction in Maine" with Wayne Newall, Robert Leavitt, and Anna…

A study was conducted to identify the competencies needed by bilingual teacher aides in an elementary school program. A task analysis, in the form of a 341-item questionnaire, was disseminated to 131 bilingual teacher aides in Arizona to determine both the difficulty and frequency of the tasks performed by the aides. To further validate the…

This report presents the development, organization and evaluation of a six week bilingual preschool program for Latin American children, designed specifically to help prepare them for kindergarten. The general goals of the program were: (1) to provide the children with a pleasant environment in which they could learn appropriate school behavior,…

The purpose of the paper is to outline some of the problems and constraints which currently prevent the use of scarce resources to provide effective programs for Mexican-Americans and Indians in the Southwestern United States, and to propose a project designed to reduce bureaucratic constraints; focus is primarily on the preschool and elementary…

This final report on the Pontiac Bilingual Program begins with a description of the program and a discussion of the school-community relationship established in the program. Monolingual children, language-interference students, and Anglo children are included in the experiment. The research procedures and tests used in the experiment are…

The Let's Be Amigos bilingual education program served over 2,000 students in 12 schools in Philadelphia. Model A provided bilingual education to English- and Spanish-dominant pupils in prekindergarten through Grade 6. Model B provided bilingual instruction to Spanish-dominant pupils in kindergarten through Grade 5. The ARRIBA component provided…

Mexico and Guatemala are undergoing changes in their educational systems due to a paradigm shift that replaces ethnic assimilation with pluralism. Both countries' governments have legally recognized the linguistic and cultural diversity of their countries via amendments to their constitutions. Both countries face tremendous obstacles in…

This theme issue focuses on instructional practices, evaluation, and the state of bilingual education. "Effective Implementation of Bilingual Programs: Reflections from the Field" (Abelardo Villarreal, Adela Solis) describes the key characteristics of successful bilingual programs: vision and goals; program leadership; linkage to central…

The 10 issues of IDRA Newsletter published in 2000 focus on education in Texas and on national and statewide educational issues concerning minority, low-income, or bilingual students. Feature articles include: "Musical Chairs and Unkept Promises" (reforming education to keep all students "in the game"); "The ENLACE…

Although the passage of Proposition 227 reduced the demand for bilingual teachers, an acute shortage of teachers qualified to deliver needed instructional services to English learners remains. In 1998, prior to the passage of 227, 43 percent of the teachers providing instructional services to English learners were not fully certified to provide…

A bilingual education teacher from Alaska discusses the problem of Native language loss, his efforts to achieve literacy in his native Cheyenne language, and the important role bilingual education teachers have in language preservation. Strategies for language preservation include creating literature in Native languages and encouraging Native…

This report evaluates the Ganado Learning Arts Development Project (GLAD), a program implemented at the Ganado Primary School in Arizona. The school serves K-2 students from the Navajo reservation and emphasizes integration of traditional Navajo teachings and culture with Western knowledge. The report covers the following data: (1) student average…

A critical shortage of bilingual teachers exists in Texas. While the Hispanic population has grown at a 39% rate, the number of Hispanic teachers has declined. The Teachers Need Teachers program in San Antonio pairs about 75 new bilingual education teachers with experienced bilingual education teachers, who serve as mentors. Its purpose is to…