Christine H. Rossell, Public Policy Institute of California
February 20, 2002
Boston University political scientist Christine Rossell wrote this hundred-page (plus appendices) paper for the Public Policy Institute of California. It addresses the subject of bilingual education in California (and presumably beyond) more perceptively and informatively than anything I've previously read. The basic story is well known: California voters passed Proposition 227 in 1998, requiring that "English learners" be immersed in English rather than in traditional "bilingual" education classes. There's early evidence that this has boosted test scores for some youngsters. But the State Board of Education is fiddling with the rules and procedures in ways that seem calculated to mitigate the impact of Prop 227. Yet Rossell shows us that that's just the tip of the iceberg. Her paper dives way under the surface to present numerous surprising facts and arresting insights. For example, even at its peak, just 29% of California's "English learners" were enrolled in "bilingual" classes. Nor, according to Rossell (who has followed this subject for many years), is there any "unequivocal research demonstrating that bilingual education is the educational disaster that some of its critics claim." She also notes that, while rarely acknowledged, only Hispanic youngsters end up in "bilingual" classes. Speakers of other languages do not land in classes that instruct them in their native languages. "The import of the fact that bilingual education was not widespread and affected only Spanish speakers is that whatever replaces it will not produce miracles. The low achievement of English learners is due primarily to their immigrant status, their social class, and the way in which English Learner is defined." (One must score poorly on an English-language test to be so classified, leading Rossell to make the obvious but important point that "these students are low scorers.") There's much more here, both good analysis and abundant data. She also offers four thoughtful recommendations for amending Prop 227. You can download a (213-page long!) PDF version at http://www.bu.edu/polisci/CROSSELL/Rossell,%20Calif.%202002%20(collated),%202.pdf.
