Chris Cox
Treasure Hunt
Professor Deb Aikat
May 28, 2003
Bilingual education in the United States is a novel
concept. Increased immigration in the 1950s eventually led the nation’s
schools to rethink the way they handled educating students with limited
English proficiency. The main ethnic group the nation must consider is Hispanics,
whose population continues to multiply each year. Through my research I
hope to better my knowledge of the history and purposes of bilingual education
as well as compare the methods and approaches taken by individual states
on the matter.
There are a couple of specific questions I will consider in my research.
The first is, “How and why did bilingual education originate?”
This means that I will examine the history of bilingual education and how
it has been handled and adapted since it began. Another important question
I will look at is “How do different states perceive and deal with
educating limited English students?” When Spanish-speaking students
go to school, does it matter what state they live in? Certain states have
bilingual education while others do not. I will most likely focus on states
such as California, Texas, and Florida since these states have high concentrations
of Hispanic students and have mulled over using bilingual education in their
own school systems for some time.
I hope my research will be able to draw information and comparisons useful
to others beside myself. Besides the JOMC 50 class, my political science
class can also be included as an intended audience for this project. Similarly,
I think school systems and teachers within public primary schools could
benefit from my study. I also think that parents of limited English proficiency
(LEP) students could gain knowledge about what is being done (or not being
done) to facilitate the needs of their children in public schools in certain
states. Parents and students who have experienced bilingual education already
may find my research interesting while those students who have not had the
opportunity to learn via bilingual education should find it useful.
Section I-b: Keywords
UNC library catalog: “bilingual education
and Texas or California or Florida”; “Hispanic Americans and
education”
Lexis-Nexis Academic: “Hispanic and immigration and education”; “bilingual education and interest groups”
Search Engine (http://www.google.com): “bilingual
education and development of or history of”; “Hispanic Americans
and public schools”
Section II: Library Sources
Print Sources:
Sun, Andrew. Bilingual education: learning English in California. Sacramento, CA: The Office: Copies purchased from Joint Publications Office, [1986].
Call Number: PE1128.A2 S887 1986
Vega, José. Education, Politics, and Bilingualism in Texas. Washington,
D.C.: University Press of America, [1983].
Call number: KFT1595.3 .V33 1983
Goonen, Norma M. Bilingual Education : Florida Administrator's Manual. Miami,
Fla.: School of Education, Florida International University, [1983.]
Call Number: ED 1.310/2:265231
Non-print Source:
UNC-Chapel Hill Institute of Latin American Studies. Being Bi-national and Adolescent. Prod. by Sharon S. Mújica. 25 min. CIT Video Services, 2000. Videocassete.
Call Number: WS 462 VC7 2000
Section III: Electronic Indexes and Databases Sources
Bujnak, Danielle. “English and Earnings: Has "Bilingual Education"
Really Helped Latinos in America?” Available from Alexis de Tocqueville
Institution, 1 February 1999. Database on-line. Available from Policy File/UNC-Chapel
Hill libraries <http://www.policyfile.com/policy/search/po_src.htm>.
[27 May 2003].
Furlow, Andrew. “Bilingual Education.” The America’s Intelligence Wire, 26 February 2003, pNA. Database on-line. Available from Infotrac/UNC-Chapel Hill libraries. <http://www.nclive.org/cgi-bin/nclsm?rsrc=11> [27 May 2003]
Gustavus, Sarah. “Legislators Must Address Bilingual Education Issues.” In the Daily Texan. Column, 23 October 2002. Database on-line. Available from LexisNexis/UNC-Chapel Hill libraries <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>. [27 May 2003].
Rothstein, Richard. “The Voters’ Prerogatives and Bilingual Education.” The New York Times, Late Edition, 23 October 2002, Section B (Metropolitan Desk), 11. Database on-line. Available from LexisNexis/UNC-Chapel Hill libraries <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>. [27 May 2003].
Yi, Daniel. “New Testing Adds Urgency to Bilingual Ed Battle.” In the Los Angeles Times. California Metro, 4 January 2003, Part 2 (Metro Desk), 1. Database on-line. Available from LexisNexis/UNC-Chapel Hill libraries <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>. [27 May 2003].
Zimmerman, Jonathan. “A Babel of Tongues.” U.S. News and World Report, no.20 (24 November 1997): 39. Available from Infotrac/UNC-Chapel Hill libraries. <http://www.nclive.org/cgi-bin/nclsm?rsrc=11>. [26 May 2003].
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Section IV: Web Sources
Title: Legislation/Policy
http://www.nabe.org/policy.asp
The National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) provides this list of policies by which it adheres in its support of bilingual education across the nation. This page states NABE’s purposes and goals in its push as an interest group to increase bilingual teaching across public school systems. These guidelines present to the NABE’s audience the federal legislations they are fighting for in support of educating limited English proficient (LEP) students.
Source: National Association for Bilingual Education
Title: Bilingual Education
http://www.edweek.org/context/topics/issuespage.cfm?id=8
Not only does this site effectively define and differentiate between bilingual education, English immersion and English as a Second Language, it gives an overview of legislations involving bilingual education. The article begins with some background concerning immigration and education of Hispanic children and moves into the policy issues that have arisen. It refers to some policy decisions that have been made in the past including California and Arizona propositions concerning bilingual education.
Source: Education Week
Title: Florida: Social Policy Issues
http://www.fairus.org/html/042flsoc.htm
This site talks predominantly of the issues revolving around immigration of LEP students, especially in Florida. Dade County Schools in Florida is the fourth largest school district in the nation thanks to the high immigration rates of Hispanics into the area. Not only are the schools over-crowded, but the students who do not have access to bilingual education or English immersion programs are falling behind. FAIR also has pages dedicated to other issues besides education. The interest group believes that “the unforeseen mass immigration that has occurred over the last 30 years should be curtailed.”
Source: The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
Title: California Association for Bilingual Education
http://www.bilingualeducation.org/index.htm
This is the official site of the California Association for Bilingual Education, which was formed in 1976. California has dealt with bilingual public policy issues since the concept was introduced in the late 60’s. The CABE is able to update all he state and local news concerning bilingual education. It also release articles and news releases on the site as well as publicize its conferences. The interest group says its mission is to “promote and support educational excellence and social justice for all,” not merely LEP students.
Source: California Association for Bilingual Education
Title: IDRA Newsletter
http://www.idra.org/Newslttr/1996/Nov/Lalo.htm#Top
The IDRA is an organization dedicated to studying the needs of cultural minorities, especially students. In this edition of its newsletter, the writers focus on an in depth analysis of what parents should know about their children’s bilingual education in Texas. Though this issue is from 1996, the material is still relevant to understanding the path that bilingual education and ESL (English as a Second Language) have taken. The article is intended to raise awareness of Texan public school parents of LEP students. The parents should ensure that their school system acknowledges the recent research and success of bilingual education and provides adequate time for students to complete the bilingual program.
Source: Intercultural Development Research Association
Section V: Mini-Essay (Choice #6)
A Collective Voice in Two Languages
It’s unarguable that the Internet has greatly enhanced the capacity
of the world to spread information quickly and easily, in any language.
Every organization tries to publicize its purpose and sell itself to the
mass public, and the Internet has proved to be an effective way of doing
so. The same holds true in the midst of the public policy issues concerning
bilingual education. Thanks to the Civil Rights Movement, bilingual education
became more widespread in the United States in the late 60’s with
the passage of the Bilingual Education Act (1). This ironically paralleled
the beginnings of the Internet itself. Since then, the media and research
groups have been active in informing the nation about bilingual education.
But more predominantly, interest groups have successfully taken advantage
of the accessible technology to educate, inform and persuade a nationwide
audience with the worldwide web.
Interest groups are perhaps the most effective way of unifying a collective
voice behind the opinions held concerning bilingual education in American
public schools. The best example of a nationwide group employing the perks
of the accessible and widespread medium is the National Association for
Bilingual Education or the NABE. The NABE opened its virtual doors with
www.nabe.org in 1976 (2). The group claims:
Above all things, NABE remains the only national professional and advocacy
membership organization exclusively dedicated to ensuring that language-minority
children have access to comprehensive, high-quality educational programs
and that all students have an opportunity to achieve bilingualism and biliteracy.
(2)
The NABE has successfully used the Internet to publicize its conferences
and its news magazine, but most importantly, it advertises its creed.
The firm national support of teaching English to minority language students
has filtered down from the NABE to state and local levels. This is not merely
a welcomed dispersion of the bilingual cause, but a necessity because state
governments have the power and need to individualize their public policy.
(3) “Federal requirements allow states a great deal of latitude in
selecting the most effective programs for their limited-English-proficient
(LEP) students” (3). Thus localized interest groups are formed, echoing
the cries and spreading the creed of the mother group, the NABE. A couple
examples include the California Association for Bilingual Education (www.cabe.org)
and the Texas Association for Bilingual Education (www.tabe.org). Both groups
readily advertise joining and readily convey their mission statements just
like the NABE (of which both state groups provide a link to).
The TABE even offers an easy download for their annual conference registration
form on their homepage! I could complete early registration, regular registration
or merely obtain a PDF copy of the exhibitor brochure. All of these options
would not be possible without the Internet.
Affiliates of bilingual education policies have successfully united. One
voice in the form of national and state interest groups would not have been
as easy to come by without the accessibility and advertising power of the
Internet. A far-fetched goal of one voice for bilingual education efficiently
became a realistic achievement. It’s evident that the power of the
one voice can more effectively strive to gain two in the classrooms.
Notes:
(1) “Rethinking Schools Online: Special Collection on Bilingual Education.”
Available http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/langhst.shtml
Accessed on 27 May 2003.
(2) “National Association for Bilingual Education on-line.” Available http://www.nabe.org/join.asp Accessed on 27 May 2003.
(3) “The READ Institute: A 50 State Survey
of Requirements for the Education of Language Minority Children” Available
http://www.ceousa.org/50state.html Accessed on 27 May 2003.
Three Web Sites:
Title: Special Collection on Bilingual Education
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/langhst.shtml
Description: This resource for all facets of education shows this article,
which was actually contributed by the NABE to inform educators of the history
and development of bilingual education from its beginnings to the present.
Source: Rethinking Schools Online
Title: Legal History of Bilingual Education
http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/Pages/HistoryBE.htm
Description: This page provides a clear overview of bilingual education
and its laws from the 14th Amendment to state and local legislations, mostly
in California.
Source: San Diego State University
Title: Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
http://www.chci.org
Description: This site is dedicated to the needs and advancement of Latino
students across the nation. They provide updates concerning bilingual education
as well as voice concerns with pending legislations.
Source: Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
Section VI: Comments
I’m one to be brutally honest. This assignment is a nightmare for
a procrastinator. Though I managed to start researching early, I still underestimated
the load demanded and paid the price with late nights researching later
on.
I wish I had been able to have a better grasp on citation formats before tackling the tasks. I felt like I had to turn to the syllabus on-line at every turn to copy the Turabian format. That was frustrating.
I appreciate the extensive explanation/description of what’s expected out of me. Sometimes I just wished it was more abrupt and concise.
Another helpful facet was the examples from precious
semesters. I just found the examples to late for them to be of greater use
to me.
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