State Voter Initiatives Affecting the Education of English Language Learners
Jennifer Milam
Grand Canyon University: ESL-523N
January 30, 2013
State Voter Initiatives Affecting the Education of English Language Learners It is no secret that the debate over what is the best course of action to educate our non-native English language students across the country is a highly charged topic that runs from the classroom to Capitol Hill. There have been many shifts in direction and focus of educational programs for English Language Learning (ELL) students during the past century in our nation's history. In 1968, with the passage of the Bilingual Education Act (Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) legislation was
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To many opponents of the bilingual education program that existed prior to these laws, encouraging bilingualism and biculturalism threatened the very definition of the American culture, which, they believed, promoted the values and language of a common group (Weisman and Hanson,2002). ). These proponents of the initiatives believed that new immigrants must abandon their native languages and cultural practices to fully assimilate into U.S. society. They feared that Spanish-speaking immigrants in particular had been "clinging" to their language and resisting learning English (Mora,2009). It remains to be seen the impact that this legislation has had on the academic outcomes of ELL students. In Arizona, research has suggested that the immersion program has been ineffective with only 11% of students entering the one year program actually obtaining English proficiency within a one year period (English for children, 2013). In California, due to the dramatic changes in the education policy of the state since the passage of Prop 227, it is difficult to measure the impact that Proposition 227 specifically has had on the outcome of these students (American Institutes for Research and WestEd, 2006). One thing is clear, the improvement in the outcomes for ELL students since the adoption of these state initiatives has not been noteworthy. "While there has been a slight decrease in
More young americans nowadays are being raised in homes speaking non-English, but these students are falling behind in schools where there is not a bilingual program available. According to the U.S. Department of Education, in schools without a bilingual education program, 71% of English speakers are at or above the basic requirements for fourth grade reading while merely 30% of non-English speakers reach this level. 35% of English and 8% of non-English speakers reach proficient reading levels while only 9% of English and 1% of non-English speakers perform at advanced levels. It’s evident that the availability of a bilingual program is crucial to the success of an individual who needs the resources that can be given to them through the use of bilingual education. The percentages of the non-English speaking students previously mentioned could undoubtedly be comparable to those percentages of the English speaking students if the education they were being provided with was cohesive to their comfortability, and the material being taught was in a language they could better understand.
As our nation shifts towards a more culturally diverse population both educators and families have to find a common ground to ensure that English Language Learners are academically successful. All stakeholders must carefully consider the social cultural impact on an ELL education. The process of raising bilingual learners take more than a language a school and a language learned at home. The transition must have a purpose and a goal.
Movements for bilingual education rose in 1974 with the Equal Education Opportunity Act and Bingual Education Act, which ordered federally funded schools to meet special educational needs for students not proficient in English. Unfortunately, dropout rates and lack of English-language proficiency alarmed the states that these bilingual programs were not efficent. Because of this, arguments between English-only advocates and supporters of bilingual educations emerged. Articles such as the New York Times have proclaimed the failures of bilingual education. One cause could be the resistance of immigrants from English language acquisition, who hold tight onto their first language and culture. Despite this, studies show that generations
Around 1959, bilingual education took flight in the United States. Starting in Miami and quickly making its way San Francisco, bilingual education soon led to the Bilingual Education Act which promoted “No Child Left Behind”. Only twenty years later, the act acquired the attention of high schools around the country. Nonetheless, bilingual education is not always taken to be the cure-all for acclimating immigrants to the United States. In his article “Aria: A Memoir of Bilingual Childhood”, Richard Rodriguez argues that students should not take part in bilingual education by explaining how it takes away individuality and a sense of family through use of ethos, diction, and imagery; Rodriguez also uses
Many students who are English language learners come from a background were in their household they speak another language rather than English. This is why it is very hard for them to adapt when they are entering a school. According to the 1968 Bilingual Education Act, this act mentioned how English Language Learners faced problems and how they came up with educational programs to help students who were Spanish speaking students (Stewner-Manzanares, 1988, P.1). The Bilingual Education Act was put in place and with this act they wanted the federal government to deliver programs that would help students who were Spanish speakers (Stewner-Manzanares, 1988,
Federal and state laws both govern the educational system in the United States, this includes laws regarding how English Language Learners (ELLs) are instructed. The federal law, No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), allows schools to decide the method to use for teaching ELLs, but it does not provide federal support for bilingual education programs, (Peregoy & Boyle (2016). Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL. page 29) . Bilingual education, is an “instructional approach that teaches at least some academic content (e.g., reading or science) in the native language in addition to teaching students academic content in English (Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English language learners: What the research does – and does not – say. American Educator,
Over the last decade or so, important legislation has been implemented to positively ensure fair and equal access to a quality education for English Language Learners (ELL). Change did not happen without there being obstacles to overcome. There were many overturned cases that initially sought to strip English Language Learners of their basic rights to an education. Yet, there would eventually be legislation instituted to help alter the course.
In contrast, the people against Prop 227, state that the Prop creates too much chaos and does not support every learner. “Adaptations and modifications are not allowed for non native English speakers (i.e. all public school instruction will be conducted in English)” (Linton, 2007). The change from bilingual education to English Immersion was of great confusion for both students and parents, due to the sudden change in consistency between districts, school, and teachers. Prop 227 threatened teachers and administration with legal penalties if they tried to teach or a help a student in a foreign language. Some that are opposed to Prop 227,
The Bilingual Education Act of 1968 provides a clear perspective on the issue of the public policy process. It started out with a clear goal in mind: to provide instruction to non-English students in American schools by providing some teaching in their native language along with English. The act was a part of the broader Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and a part of the Civil Rights movement because of its issues relating to language and culture. It was particularly aimed to the large amount of Hispanic immigrants in the American Southwest. The provides an issue that is complex and changing rapidly especially in today’s multiethnic and multilinguistic United States society.
Although being bilingual could keep you connected with your ancestors, war against bilingualism in the United States exists. Martin Espada illustrates the discrimination that bilingualism and Spanish speakers face daily. Espada explains; “ There are too many in this country who would amputate the Spanish tongue.” (4). The cultural aggression towards Spanish and other languages that aren’t English continue to rise. He elaborates, “The purists of English language is being corrupted from the bottom up: by “Spanglish,” by “Ebonics,” by all non-standard English as spoken by poor and working-class people. These dialects seek to obscure, rather than clarify; their intent is not to communicate, but to control.” (5). Espada points out that people in the United States devote their time to oppose bilingual and foreign language. The State House of Massachusetts attempted to make English the official language of the state, which would then act as a base for legal discrimination against Spanish and Latinos. Espada recalls an incident; “At META, we saw language discrimination cases on occasion. One case came from nearby Lynn, Massachusetts. A Latino parent called us and said; “Please come over to Lynn English High School. They have banned Spanish at lunchtime.” (7). The conclusion to ban Spanish at lunchtime came to a chief lunchroom aide overheard a few students speaking Spanish at lunch and thought that they talked about Anglos people among everyone. Many
This legislation undermined the English-only legislation still official in some states (Baker, 1997). The original Bilingual Education Act of 1968 had the following main purposes: “(1) increase English-language skills. (2) maintain and perhaps increase mother-tongue skills, and (3) support the cultural heritage of the student” (Leibowitz, 1980, p. 24). According to Crawford (1989), the White House exerted pressure on Congress to approve no funding for Title VII during the first year. In 1969, a scanty appropriation of $7.5 million was sufficient to just fund projects that served 27,000 ELLs (Crawford, 1989). Crawford (1989) states that about 112,000 ELLs were served in 1972 out of the estimated 5 million school age
Particularly, it has been thought to be the beginning of a revolutionary time when historically marginalized populations demanded for equitable treatment. Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964, did not directly refer to ELLs, it did allow for there to be a focus on the treatment of minority populations all across America. As language minority students, ( children who reside in homes where the main language is not English), are a minority population, the Civil Rights Act did allow for conversations concerning what to for these students to enter the discussion. With pressure from Shortly thereafter, the Bilingual Education Act of 1968 was established. The Bilingual Education Act did enhance the learning abilities for ELLs, however there were several issues with its’ first implementation. For example, the act gave competitive grants to school districts to use toward the creation of their own programs. This act was based on a voluntary basis, not a federal requirement. To be considered for the grant, the districts could only use the money toward resources for educational programs, training for teachers and teacher aides, development and dissemination of materials, and parent involvement projects. Provisions as to how each district used and distributed the money was foreseen on a local level, and extremely
Throughout the decade, there has been more of an effort, albeit slow-moving, in trying to help out the bilingual student sector of our education system. The most impactful legislation, I believe, that was a vital toward helping this sector, was Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, signed into law on January 2, 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson. As a formal teacher, President Johnson was an avid believer in equal opportunities for those children of low-income families, of which many of the EL students were. Title VII I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 “promot[ed] equal access to the curriculum, training a generation of educators, sniff fostering achievement among students…” Because of this tremendous act, it was a huge stepping stone for young children to learn a second language. It would help them master the English language for high school and gave them an opportunity to go to college. Starting them early, children would be prideful of their culture while encouraging them to learn English. For much of the bilingual movement, bilingualism has been seen as a foreigners not wanting to be American because they wanted to keep up their own, different cultural identity. The original Bilingual Education Act tried to promote linguistic, cultural differences and diversity in the United States, which challenged many popular assimilation theories and the "melting pot" concept of the United States. When it was signed in its final form,
I believe my readings should help me understand the issue somewhat. I believe today that many Americans are still concerned with bilingual citizens. Many are concerned about seeing menus, signs and items in grocery stores in two different languages. According to the text, there was constant pressure from society to promote Americanization of immigrants, and public schools carried our societal expectations by encouraging immigrants to abandon their heritage and conform to American ways (Koppelman, 2014, p.75). We still see people in our society today pushing this issue. The immigrants are all seeking the same thing we want each day. They are seeking to live the American dream. The text states that fluency in the an immigrants native language
If Texas lawmakers want to help non-English speaking students learn English as quickly as possible and be prepared for future academic success, they should replace bilingual education with sheltered English immersion. Effectively teaching English to non-English-speaking students is the best possible investment in our children's future and the future of