Bilingual education questioned
Bilingual education programs at two Fairfield-Suisun Unified School district campuses could be compromising the learning potential and test scores of students who can't speak English, said school board President Bob Pattillo. In a letter addressed to Superintendent Sharon Tucker and sent to fellow board members, Pattillo requested a "full report" on the bilingual programs at Crescent and Anna Kyle elementary schools, including a comparison of standardized test score with other school districts that have adopted total English immersion. Proposition 227, passed by California voters in 1998, called for an end to bilingual education in the state's public schools, but left some options for parents who want their children to receive instruction in their primary language. Under the initiative, if enough parents sign waivers to opt out of English immersion, schools can continue offering bilingual classes. According to state test results released earlier this year, the percentage of limited English students who scored at or above the 50th percentile rose from 25 percent last year to 32 percent this year. Based on those gains and significant improvements in specific school districts, Pattillo said it's time for Fairfield-Suisun to examine its practices. "Our district's English learning students must not be left behind," said Pattillo in his letter to Tucker. "It is time to seriously consider implementing English immersion (in) compliance with the full intent of Proposition 227." Pattillo suggested that district officials visit the Oceanside Unified School District, which has implemented total English immersion. Oceanside has received national media attention for its improved test scores but has also been accused by the state Education Department of violating the rights of English learners by restricting access to bilingual education. Among the many questions that Pattillo wants answered are: • Why has the school board not been involve in setting guidelines for the waiver process? • How many waivers have been granted at each school and districtwide? • How many students are being bused to bilingual programs and what is the cost of providing them transportation? In the Dixon Unified School District, both Anderson Elementary School and Silveville Primary School offer bilingual and "sheltered English" classes, which gradually transition students from Spanish to English. Joan Hahn, Dixon's director of instruction, said the district is keeping a close eye on the test scores of students in bilingual classes. So far, bilingual education students have scored slightly above the overall district average on the state's Spanish language standardized test. However, "once the bilingual kids take the English (Stanford 9) test, they do not do as well," Hahn said. The dip is to be expected, she said, since those students are being tested in a language they can't read or understand. Defenders of bilingual education charge that, although Spanish speakers' test scores are improving, they still lag far behind English speakers. In addition, opponents of Proposition 227 point to other reforms, such as class size reduction, to explain higher scores. champion, which probably will be perennial powerhouse Grant of Sacramento. |