This paper presents preliminary findings from three of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys of interest to teachers of English as a second language (ESL): (1) the Survey of Income and Education (SIE) conducted in 1976; (2) the Teachers Language Skills Survey (TLSS) conducted in 1976-77; and (3) the Survey of Institutions of…

This document considers the position, plight, and needs of recent Central American immigrants to Canada. It seeks to answer three questions: What kind of support do they need? What kind of programs can respond to their needs? How can they be helped to integrate into Canadian society? Several facts are uncovered, and conclusions are reached based…

This report contains a synopsis of the binational conference and features brief summaries of all the papers presented at the conference. Over 350 educators, community leaders, and researchers were brought together to discuss the educational extremes found along the border between the United States and Mexico and to investigate instructional…

This report presents findings about the academic performance of elementary students with limited English proficiency (LEP) who entered first grade in Texas public schools in 1992-93. In general, performance gaps existed between elementary LEP students and non-LEP students, in terms of Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) results and…

Dual language programs are bilingual education immersion models designed to address the needs of limited-English-proficient students and native English speakers by proving an additive language approach. In this program, English and Spanish are used for the purpose of developing bilingual and biliteracy skills. The project was structured after the…

Presents evidence contradicting previous findings regarding the relative academic superiority of recent Mexican immigrants over native-born Mexican Americans. Discusses the problem of the relative achievement levels of the two groups in the context of three possible explanations: socio-economic differences; teacher expectancy effect; and native…

Discusses research on the importance of context and social interaction on the development of school literacy, particularly writing development, concentrating on five classes of Latino elementary school students. Specific features of institutional contexts that shape writing process instruction are identified. Necessary broadening of current…

Reports on a study of an innovative secondary bilingual program for preliterate immigrant adolescents. Researchers compared classroom processes used in the bilingual program to those in English-as-a-Second-Language classrooms. Observations indicated no significant differences in off-task behavior. Neither group participated in many higher level…

Interviews with 103 limited-English-proficient middle school students in California examined student and parent attitudes toward learning English, student use of English with family and friends, homework and study assistance, participation in extracurricular activities, and the influence of frequent absences and years of English instruction on…

In its fourth year, Project MASTER served 477 Spanish-speaking students in 5 elementary schools in the Bronx. The teaching strategy was holistic, integrating all aspects of the curriculum with English-language learning through science projects. The project developed curriculum materials, stressing attitudes toward and knowledge of science topics,…

Project COMPUOCC.LEP, a Title VII-funded program of instructional and support services, served 400 Hispanic students of limited English proficiency with special handicapping conditions. It also served 36 special education teachers at 14 Bronx (New York) intermediate and junior high schools, offering on-site technical assistance in curriculum…

In the 1988-89 school year, Bilingualism in the Computer Age completed its final year of instruction at Morris High School in the Bronx. The project provided bilingual instructional and support services to 240 Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP) and utilized computers to develop students' English skills and native…

The Bilingual-Bicultural Program at DeWitt Clinton High School, Bronx, New York, was designed to provide support services to students with problems in reading and writing skills, and in linguistic, academic, and classroom adjustment. The program offered instruction in English as a Second language (ESL), Spanish for native speakers, Spanish as a…

This report presents the findings of the 1981-82 evaluation of two projects that served 200 mildly mentally retarded students of limited English proficiency (L.E.P.) in New York City Public Schools during the 1981-82 school year. Project TRABAJO served six middle and secondary schools, while Individualized Bilingual Education for Children with…

Project BECOME at Sarah J. Hale High School in Brooklyn, New York, was designed to provide instruction in English as a second language and in native language arts, as well as bilingual instruction in social studies, mathematics, and science, for Hispanic and Haitian high school students of limited English proficiency. In 1981-82, the second year…