View in EDS

Meeting Its Potential: A Call and Guide for Universal Access to Bilingual Education in California. A Civil Rights Agenda for California's Next Quarter Century

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Meeting Its Potential: A Call and Guide for Universal Access to Bilingual Education in California. A Civil Rights Agenda for California's Next Quarter Century
Language: English
Authors: Conor Williams, Ilana Umansky, Lorna Porter, Manuel Vazquez Cano, Jonathan Zabala, University of California, Los Angeles. Civil Rights Project / Proyecto Derechos Civiles
Source: Civil Rights Project - Proyecto Derechos Civiles. 2024.
Availability: Civil Rights Project / Proyecto Derechos Civiles. 8370 Math Sciences, P.O. Box 951521, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521. Tel: 310-267-5562; Fax: 310-206-6293; e-mail: crp@ucla.edu; Web site: http://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 51
Publication Date: 2024
Sponsoring Agency: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Intended Audience: Policymakers
Document Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Access to Education, Elementary Secondary Education, Student Diversity, Immersion Programs, Educational History, Public Education, Multilingualism, Program Development, Bilingual Teachers, Teacher Education Programs, Educational Quality, Relevance (Education), English Learners, Educational Legislation, Program Effectiveness, Native Language
Geographic Terms: California
Abstract: California's cultural and linguistic diversity are remarkable assets for the state. In particular, bilingualism is linked not only to economic growth, but also to improved health, social empathy, educational attainment, community cohesion, and civic engagement. Harnessing this potential depends upon the educational success of California's more than one million students classified in K-12 schools as English learners (ELs). Abundant evidence illuminates not only the potential of this talented group of students, but also the danger of them being relegated to a second-class status in school. After nearly twenty years of English-only education, California has made significant strides in growing bilingual education programs, programs such as dual language immersion, maintenance bilingual, and heritage language revitalization, and in doing so has recognized bilingual education's potential to improve academic and post-schooling outcomes for all students. State initiatives including Global California 2030 and the EL Roadmap both emphasize the importance of bilingual education in preparing California's diverse student population for a globalized and multilingual future. However, the state's history with bilingual education has been complex, marked by periods of both progress and setbacks--and much remains to be done to deliver on these ambitious bilingual promises. This report explores the past and present of bilingual education in California, and then outlines a series of recommendations for making bilingual education the universal standard of service in the state's K-12 schools and California a national leader in bilingual education and multilingualism.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED674569
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:California's cultural and linguistic diversity are remarkable assets for the state. In particular, bilingualism is linked not only to economic growth, but also to improved health, social empathy, educational attainment, community cohesion, and civic engagement. Harnessing this potential depends upon the educational success of California's more than one million students classified in K-12 schools as English learners (ELs). Abundant evidence illuminates not only the potential of this talented group of students, but also the danger of them being relegated to a second-class status in school. After nearly twenty years of English-only education, California has made significant strides in growing bilingual education programs, programs such as dual language immersion, maintenance bilingual, and heritage language revitalization, and in doing so has recognized bilingual education's potential to improve academic and post-schooling outcomes for all students. State initiatives including Global California 2030 and the EL Roadmap both emphasize the importance of bilingual education in preparing California's diverse student population for a globalized and multilingual future. However, the state's history with bilingual education has been complex, marked by periods of both progress and setbacks--and much remains to be done to deliver on these ambitious bilingual promises. This report explores the past and present of bilingual education in California, and then outlines a series of recommendations for making bilingual education the universal standard of service in the state's K-12 schools and California a national leader in bilingual education and multilingualism.