This paper focuses on acquainting bilingual educators with one field of special education called learning disabilities. The major dimensions that are discussed are: the learning process with focus on disruptions, the considerations involved in the identification and assessment of learning disabilities, cultural and learning style differences of…

Bilingual education is not entirely a new idea. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was practiced in church schools, particularly in German and Spanish. Most communities, however, assumed a strongly assimilationist stance for their public schools, especially after World War I. In recent years, however, this attitude has been partly reversed under…

This year-long study explored the linguistic and cognitive transactions of immigrant language-minority kindergarten students in the social context of classroom collaborative talk in their native language. Collaborative talk transactions were selected from 13 videotaped sessions involving 27 Hispanic kindergarten students, mostly recent arrivals…

While numerous studies on bilingual education have looked at student test scores, drop-out rates, and parental responses, this study looks at the attitudes of the students directly affected by bilingual education. Interviews with a representative sample of 132 elementary school students (grades 4-6) in El Paso, Texas were conducted for this study.…

This article draws on data collected during a year-long ethnographic study of six Spanish-dominant English language learners, enrolled in both English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and Spanish Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) "pull-out" programs, in an English kindergarten classroom. The study is based on a theoretical framework that…

Families of Hispanic-American children of limited English proficiency are generally being denied the right to choose intensive English-language instruction rather than more typical transitional bilingual education. This article reviews the success of intensive English-language instruction and presents the case for making it available. (SLD)

This paper describes the two-year master's degree program for speech-language pathologists with a specialization in bilingualism (Spanish/English) developed at the University of the District of Columbia. First, the article describes the program's curriculum, clinical practicum, recruitment, and retention activities. It then discusses the student…

This chapter addresses the theoretical and empirical knowledge bases related to bilingualism and second language acquisition in Chicano children. Research concerning bilingual acquisition has found that the linguistic, cognitive, and social characters of the bilingual child develop simultaneously. Furthermore, all three areas of development are…

This paper overviews challenges and solutions for educating migrant students in Michigan. The majority of migrant workers in the United States are Hispanic men with families. Data indicate that only about a fifth of migrant children complete education beyond the sixth grade. Migrant students tend to fall behind in their education because they…

This book includes 20 chapters that provide background on the historical and current context of U.S.-Mexico relations and education in Mexico, examine existing binational educational and health programs, and describe effective practices for teaching Mexican migrant and immigrant students and working with families from Mexico. Following a foreword…

An evaluation of the bilingual education (BE) and English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) programs provided to limited English proficient (LEP) students by the Austin Independent School District (AISD) (Texas) looks at enrollment rates and trends and student achievement within the programs. In 1995-96, AISD enrolled 10,290 LEP students, about 14…

The report describes the rationale for and history of an exchange program for Nuevo Leon (Mexico) and New Mexico bilingual education teachers. The program evolved from the need to help Spanish-speaking students maintain their own language and culture while in the United States. New Mexico's state policy concerning language-minority children and…

Project Data Tech targeted Spanish- and Haitian-speaking students of limited English proficiency at a high school in Brooklyn. Students who were admitted scored at or below the 40th percentile on the Language Assessment Battery, were new arrivals into the country, and wanted to join the computer-aided drafting (CAD) or cosmetology programs.…

This publication presents recommendations for improving educational success, excellence, and equity for Hispanic American students in Minnesota's public schools. The document describes the actions that established the Minnesota State Board of Education Hispanic Learner Task Force (HLTF), the procedures for developing the recommendations, and…

This report provides evaluative information regarding the effectiveness of Project Aprendizaje, a New York City program that served 269 Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP). The project promoted parent and community involvement by sponsoring cultural events, such as a large Latin American festival. Students developed…