A program for gifted Hispanic children in the Worcester, Massachusetts, public schools is designed to increase participants' exposure to cultural and community resources, encourage creativity and imagination, and foster language and literacy skills. Potential participants are identified by bilingual teachers and by peer, parent, and…

This article from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education reviews the history, strategies, and research evidence on the impact of our nation's response to bilingual education. Suggests future policy recommendations for expansion of bilingual educational services. (SA)

Bilingual education and Mark's Meadow Laboratory School involves the use of adult tutors who work with non-English-speaking children within one of two international classrooms. The tutors serve not only as teachers but as psychological supports for children undergoing both linguistic and cultural adjustment. (GC)

Describes a bilingual program where bilingual students and students taught in English are integrated socially and academically. The program fosters strong bonds between monolingual and bilingual students and teachers, acceptance of individuals regardless of ethnicity, development of English without loss of the native language, and better ties with…

Three Southeast Asian teachers, one from Vietnam, one from Cambodia, and one from Thailand, develop curriculum materials for native language instruction for students in Project LOWELL, the Lowell (MA) Public Schools transitional program for limited English speaking Asian refugee children. Their duties and the importance of them are discussed. (PS)

Most schools use, reinforce, and enhance the dominant culture at the expense of the culture of minority students. If schools recognize the importance of language and culture, they will see benefits in minority children's academic growth, self-image and economic future. (Author/PS)

Describes the San Diego (CA) two-way bilingual program which puts English and Spanish-speaking students together to learn each others' languages. Program results in a lag in English language literacy after early years, but that difference is made up within one year of English language instruction. (PS)

Describes a program model tested at two Boston high schools designed to better prepare monolingual teachers to meet the needs of their linguistic minority students. Program consisted of needs assessment, workshops, conferences, and classroom projects. Recommendations for future projects include administrator, counselor, and bilingual staff…

Describes Project LOWELL, a K-8 bilingual education program developed by Lowell (MA) Public Schools to cope with the dramatic influx of Southeast Asian pupils since 1979. Discusses five project areas: instruction, curriculum development and coordination, staff development and training, parent and community involvement, and dissemination. Issues of…

Provides transcript of roundtable discussion about two-way bilingual programs. Discusses the following: (1) reasons for success of programs; (2) spin-off advantages for pupils, schools, and community; and (3) obstacles bilingual education encounter. (PS)

Implementing two-way bilingual programs requires the following: (1) planning; (2) clear goals; (3) teamwork between teachers, administrators, and parents; (4) specialized training for teachers; and (5) assessment of students' initial skills. (PS)

Discusses history of immigrants and minorities in Fall River (MA), and the town's efforts to provide an equitable education for immigrant children and improve schools system-wide. The improvement plan incorporated the following elements: (1) controlled choice; (2) magnet schools; (3) controlled admissions and transfer policy; and (4) parent…

Describes five two-way bilingual education programs in Massachusetts: three in Boston, one in Holyoke, and one in Lawrence. Names and addresses of contact persons at each school are included. (PS)

Describes the Amigos Program at Maynard School, Cambridge, MA, a two-way bilingual education program. Success of the program and efforts at equal education result from teamwork between desegregation and bilingual education officers and the following elements: (1) site; (2) funding; (3) evaluation; (4) racial balance; and (5) parent support. (PS)