Modesto 227 Plan Unveiled Trustees Must OK Curb On Bilingual Ed

Bilingual education will not be an option for most non-English-speaking students under a plan proposed this week by Modesto City Schools administrators.

The plan, developed to comply with Proposition 227, calls for placing non-English speakers in “sheltered immersion” classes, where teachers teach in English while using materials designed for English learners.

Children with better English skills would be placed in regular classes that could have bilingual aides to help with instruction.

The proposal would not eliminate foreign-language instruction, but would curtail its use by limiting the number of minutes a teacher can use another language, Superintendent James Enochs said.

Nor would it do away entirely with bilingual education, a method by which children are taught in their primary language while learning English.

Children who meet certain conditions required by Proposition 227 could enroll in a Spanish bilingual-education class at their parents’ request. Spanish is the most common foreign language spoken in the district.

But for the first time, bilingual-education teachers would have time limits placed on the amount of Spanish they use in lessons. Those time constraints haven’t been determined, but will be by Aug. 31, when the proposal is scheduled to go before the board for approval, Enochs said.

Bilingual education will not be available in junior highs and high schools, where other programs that don’t rely on a student’s primary language are more common.

Districts must have Proposition 227 compliance plans in place for school terms that begin after Sunday. Affected immediately will be Robertson Road, Burbank and Shackelford, year-round schools that begin tracks Monday.

Teachers there already have been instructed on how to conduct classes according to the new plan, said Pat Portwood, director of elementary education.

District administrators emphatically insisted Thursday that their proposal complies with Proposition 227, even though many of the initiative’s requirements still are being interpreted on both state and district levels.

For instance, Proposition 227 stipulates that instruction be conducted “overwhelmingly” or “nearly all” in English, leaving some room for use of a another language, said Ed Lee, Modesto City Schools’ director of federal and state programs.

“The law is very vague. While it’s clear that the majority of time should be spent on English, it does not preclude the use of (Spanish),” he said.

Another major concern is how many parents will request waivers. According to Proposition 227, students eligible for waivers must:

* Already speak English.

* Be 10 or older and recommended for an alternative program by school staff.

* Be deemed to have “special needs” after being assigned to a regular classroom for at least 30 days. After 30 days, the parents can request a waiver.

The district hopes that quality instruction in the sheltered immersion programs will discourage many from seeking waivers.

“I’m not so sure it’s a slam dunk that all parents are going to seek waivers,” Enochs said. “I think a lot are interested in moving their children along through English-language classes and getting on with their education.”

Board member Ricardo Cordova said he is satisfied with the district’s preliminary plan, but is concerned about the disruption to classrooms and programs.

“Considering what we have to work with it, it looks like the best we’ll be able to do,” he said. “My real concern is with what the initiative is making us do, rather than being able to take our time. I’m concerned with changing — midstream — programs that we’ve been developing and improving upon all these years.”

Enochs estimates it will cost $250,000 to shift to a program based predominantly on English immersion. That includes paying for materials to replace bilingual education materials.



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