Rethinking Bilingual Education
Editorial
CALIFORNIA'S bitter debate over bilingual education, which culminated two years ago in the passage of Proposition 227, seethed with anti-immigrant undertones. At times, bilingual education seemed to serve as a proxy for immigrants themselves, an easy target for voters fed up with foreigners and an easy way for politicians to exploit their anger. When 61 percent of voters approved the measure in June 1998 and most bilingual classes were declared off-limits, many educators forecast disaster for California's million Spanish-speaking students. Critics said the immediate immersion in English would devastate those students and their academic careers. Last week, California's standardized test scores surfaced and the doomsday predications fizzled. Not only did statewide test scores improve overall for California students, but non-English speakers posted gains that roughly matched those of fluent English speakers. And according to an Associated Press interview with Ron Unz, the software millionaire who financed the drive to end bilingual education, scores improved most in the school districts that followed Proposition 227 and its mandate for immersion most closely. Critics quickly registered their reservations. The current standardized test does not adequately gauge the progress of non-English speakers. The scores still are too abysmally low to celebrate, and the gains were concentrated in the early grades. California's new push toward accountability -- with its increased emphasis on test preparation and smaller class sizes -- deserves more credit than Proposition 227. Those qualms are valid, and at least one -- the concern about the current test's appropriateness for assessing the progress of limited-English students -- has sparked a move by California officials to develop a more accurate measure. For now, though, these tests remain the most reliable gauge available. And they suggest that, at the very least, the end of bilingual education may not hurt immigrant academic success. In fact, they imply exactly the opposite: That early immersion may be the best way to ensure that students master their new language and succeed in their new home. |