While the number of these students in American schools has more than doubled over the past decade, their academic progress remains slow. English language learners are more likely to fail a grade, to score below average on achievement tests, and to drop out of school than their peers from English-speaking homes. Some critics believe the problem is bilingual education, which they say isolates children for too long and provides them too little exposure to English. In Massachusetts, state officials have proposed to restrict enrollment in native-language classrooms to one year. In California, a ballot initiative is being organized that would essentially mandate English-only schooling.
Similar efforts are under way in other states.
Defenders respond that well-designed bilingual programs have proven effective in teaching English and other subjects because they build on, rather than discard, what students already know. Moreover, they have the potential to develop proficiency in two languages, benefiting both individuals and the nation. Few questions in American education are more politicized. You would be wrong. It encourages the inclusion of a long-marginalized group in the current round of school reform.