Kindergarteners’ backpacks during their Spanish-language classes at River Glen School in San Jose, California, on Wednesday, September 21, 2016. At this school, students learn in both English and Spanish. Senate Bill 1174, also known as Proposition 58, is on the California ballot. If passed, Proposition 58 would essentially repeal most of the 1998 Proposition 227, the “English in Public Schools” initiative, and would essentially allow non-English languages in public education instruction. Public schools have been finding loopholes in Proposition 227 for years, and the recent popularity of bilingual education makes it a sure thing that Proposition 58 will pass. (Dan Honda/Bay Area News Group)
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court case Lau v. Nichols, in which the Court ruled that Chinese students in the San Francisco Unified School District were not receiving the English language instruction they needed to succeed and ordered schools to provide equal educational opportunities to students classified as English language learners.
But half a century later, multilingual students are still being underserved in schools, both in California and nationwide.
bilingual Education can begin to solve this civil rights issue.
California needs to provide adequate funding. bilingual programs to ensure greater equity for multilingual students, educators, and teacher education programs.
There is an irrefutable research base demonstrating high quality efficacy bilingual It promotes education as an educational solution for multilingual students, who make up 40% of California’s public school students.
Multilingual Students bilingual Students who receive bilingual instruction perform better academically than multilingual students who do not receive bilingual instruction: they score higher on English reading and math tests when they receive bilingual instruction. bilingual Students who participate in education programs have stronger English language proficiency, are more likely to consider higher education, are less likely to drop out of school, and experience better social-emotional outcomes, including increased self-confidence, a greater sense of belonging at school, and a more positive development of identity.
bilingual It also contributes to a school environment where diverse families are embraced rather than excluded. bilingual Teachers are more likely to communicate with linguistically diverse families and are more likely to help their English-speaking colleagues communicate with them in the same way. bilingual Education benefits everyone: English-speaking students achieve better academically bilingual program.
In contrast, multilingual students who participate in English-only programs often lack adequate language support and access to college preparatory courses. Given these advantages, why should all multilingual students, and all students, bilingual education?
A recent report found that fewer than 8% of U.S. students classified as English Language Learners are enrolled in dual language programs (a very common form). bilingual The percentage of English learners increased by 2.5% in the 2019-20 school year. California, the state with the most students classified as English learners, is at the average (8.4%), while the District of Columbia and Texas lead the way at 30% and 20%, respectively.
Texas’ success is no accident: The state is offering incentives. bilingual Providing additional funding for each student enrolled in a dual language program will strengthen the program by allowing schools to purchase high-quality curriculum in both Spanish and English.
California offers subsidies, bilingual There is a lack of funding for teacher training, resulting in bilingual Depending on the settings, bilingual Programmes are not being implemented because schools cannot provide staff.
Expansion requires investment bilingual Programs to help multilingual students succeed. This can be through residency programs, local programs for communities to “grow their own.” bilingual Facilitating the implementation of undergraduate courses in teacher training and providing additional funding for educational assistants and early childhood education specialists to obtain undergraduate degrees; bilingual Credentials.
At the national level, bilingual Although the 1968 Education Act was imperfect, it did provide federal support for, and sometimes funding for, the education of multilingual students. bilingual Providing education and guidance could help states and advocates advance policy.
effective bilingual With regard to the current state of education, a team of policymakers and researchers could develop legislation to support the civil rights of multilingual students and their families. If we can muster the political will, we can solve this problem.
Allison Briceño is an associate professor at San Jose State University and a Public Voices Fellow at The OpEd Project.
