Los Angeles Times Board Editorial Is Bilingual Education Worth Bringing Back?
A lot has changed since 1998, when Proposition 227 all but wiped out bilingual instruction in California public schools. The matter is due for reconsideration; a bill that passed the state Senate last week would allow that to happen.
SB 1174, by state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), would place a
measure on the November 2016 ballot to repeal Proposition 227 and allow local
school districts to decide whether they want to bring back bilingual education
rather than continue with the current system, which aims to move students
toward full-time English use as quickly as possible.
Over the last 16 years, academic
research has largely found that good bilingual programs are just as effective
at teaching English skills, and often slightly better at it, than classes that
immerse students in English. Along the way, they also teach students literacy
in their native language.
Another reason to consider
bilingual education: Shortly after Proposition 227 passed, testing and
accountability requirements were imposed on schools. The academic skills of
students, including those who aren't fluent in English, are now measured every
year. That means that if bilingual education is failing students, that failure
will become clear quickly, and schools will face potential disciplinary measures
if they don't fix the problem.
A third factor: The globalization
of the economy means that bilingualism confers a significant advantage in the
work world.
Yet there were good reasons
Proposition 227 passed. Bilingual education is more expensive. The state
suffered continual shortages of qualified bilingual teachers. Worse, bilingual
education was often poorly done. It's important to consider the academic
studies that have shown slightly better results for bilingual classes, but
remember that those studies involved top-notch programs with outstanding
teachers. California's public schools seldom came close to the model, and
before Proposition 227, thousands of students were handed diplomas without ever
having mastered English.
To persuade voters, supporters of
bilingual education will have to demonstrate that they can overcome these
obstacles.
Dual immersion programs, a subset
of bilingual education in which students from different language backgrounds
study in two languages, gaining fluency in both, have often succeeded and are
increasingly popular. Such programs exist in California, but they have been
small and have involved populations of motivated parents and students. Bringing
them up to scale so that they work statewide might be difficult.
These are debates worth having, and
SB 1174 would provide the forum for them.
Copyright
© 2014, Los Angeles Times
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