Briefly outlines some of the Federal school improvement efforts during the last two dozen years that led to the development of a procedure (here described) to measure the performance of programs for Limited English Proficient students. Results of a field test of the measurement procedure are discussed. (BJV)

This book reports on a ten-year-old maintenance Chinese bilingual education program in a public school located at the heart of a Chinatown community in California. It uses a multilevel ethnographic approach, considering the classroom, the school, and the broader community. First covered are the ways that a bilingual education program is initiated,…

During the 1985-86 fiscal year, the Bilingual Pupil Services (BPS) Project was selected by the U.S. Department of Education as an exemplary Chapter 1 Project, suitable for national dissemination and replication. BPS provides instruction in English as a second language (ESL), bilingual reading, and mathematics to students of limited English…

Describes instructional differences among English Immersion Strategy, early-exit, and late-exit transitional bilingual education programs. The three differ radically in the use of English and the primary language for instruction; these language-use patterns are consistent with each instructional model. Little or no differences were noted in…

Stresses that if bilingual education is to survive and grow, it is necessary to educate the general public about the benefits of bilingualism for both the limited English speaking and the English dominant, regardless of ethnicity. Suggests 10 strategies for promoting bilingual education and nurturing positive attitudes and commitments. (NEC)

Outlines a set of procedures designed to incorporate Limited English Proficient students into the mainstream curriculum. Discusses the information needed to make mainstreaming decisions, and the procedures and instruments needed to gather the information. Reviews mainstreaming programs in various states. (BJV)

This article describes a research project carried out by the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA). IDRA's primary research question for this study was, "What contributed to the success of a bilingual education classroom as evidenced by LEP student academic achievement?" In addition to the student data, qualitative and contextual…

As the ranks of English language learners swell in the United States, the number of students with interrupted formal education (SIFE) is on the rise. In 2004-05, New York City schools estimated that 10 percent of their English language learners were students with interrupted schooling. According to the New York State Department of Education,…

Teachers in traditional bilingual settings confront strict program requirements under the guise of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), excessive assessment demands (state, district and program assessments in both English and Spanish), and negative attitudes about bilingual education from many in the political and public spheres. Since 1998, the passage…

This paper discusses the education of Mexican-American students along the Mexico-United States border. A brief review of historical and cultural perspectives suggests that the Mexican population in the border area continues to increase because the area is culturally and linguistically accomodating. Schools that teach the dominant Anglo culture…

The meta-analysis by A. C. Willig of bilingual education evaluation literature was not successful in comparison with and did not replicate the Baker and de Kanter narrative review. Willig's conclusion that bilingual education is effective is not supported by the analysis. (SLD)

"Aspira v. Board of Education" required the implementation of a transitional bilingual-education program in New York City. However, the Board has failed to provide the program to large numbers of children, to systematically monitor implementation, and to evaluate the educational outcomes of the consent-decree program for limited English…

Finds that, among 2100 Hispanic elementary students in a four-stage bilingual program, primary language achievement, instructional level, and oral English performance were important indicators of English reading achievement scores and readiness for reclassification to an all-English program. Contains 17 references and 9 tables. (Author/SV)

Describes a program model tested at two Boston high schools designed to better prepare monolingual teachers to meet the needs of their linguistic minority students. Program consisted of needs assessment, workshops, conferences, and classroom projects. Recommendations for future projects include administrator, counselor, and bilingual staff…

The focus of federally-funded bilingual education programs has shifted over the past 20 years from serving educationally disadvantaged limited English proficient (LEP) students to serving recent immigrants and identifying alternatives to bilingual education. Since the 1960s, the LEP student population has grown increasingly diverse, illiterate,…