"Cheating" is a form of resistance in pedagogy for bilingual educators. Bilingual educators "cheat" in classes where English as the only language of instruction is strictly imposed by school or district officials, but these teachers "cheat" by using the native language of their English language learners because they know they must. But, for many…

Two main instructional approaches have been used to educate English learners in California--English language development (ELD) together with academic instruction in the primary language (bilingual education), and ELD with or without Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE). Since the passage of Proposition 227 in June 1998,…

A discussion of public policy concerning bilingual education looks at why and how policy should be re-focused on helping Limited English Proficient (LEP) students make academic gains. It first examines some characteristics of the highly diverse and rapidly growing LEP population, including varied academic background, tendency to reside in small…

In the context of increasing criticism of bilingual education and the use of native language instruction, it must be remembered that they are based on a sound rationale. First, they address the need for continued learning as the child moves from one language to the other. Second, they address the need to diminish the alienation which children feel…

The Spanish Native Language Arts Development Turnkey Training Program attempted to create a network of secondary school administrators and teachers of Spanish acquainted with current research and methodology and able to provide staff development in native language arts for teachers of native Spanish speakers of limited English proficiency. Nine…

Given the increasing number of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students entering New York City high schools who have experienced limited or interrupted formal education, there is a growing need to identify such students and to develop programs that satisfy their unique educational requirements. This report makes recommendations for establishing…

This digest examines criticism of bilingual education and its effect on public opinion, discusses the rationale underlying good bilingual education programs, and summarizes research findings that reveal programs' effectiveness. Quality bilingual education provides students with knowledge and literacy in their first language, which indirectly but…

The primary focus of this book is the Lao, the principal ethnic group of Laos, who form about one-half of the population of that country. Chapter 1 of the book outlines the recent history of Laos and the Laotians. Chapter 2 describes education in Laos up to 1975, schooling in Thai refugee camps, and problems encountered by Lao refugees in American…

Project BECA, in its first year of funding, provided instruction in English as a second language and native language development, and bilingual instruction in mathematics, science, history, economics, industrial arts, recording keeping, typing, and bookkeeping to approximately 290 Spanish-speaking students in grades 9 through 12 at a high school…

The primary purpose of this handbook is to assist teachers who want or need to become authorized by the state of California to teach limited-English-proficient (LEP) students by earning the new Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) or Bilingual, Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (BCLAD) certificates. Section 1…

Chapters 1 and 2 of this guide provide an introduction to the history and culture of the Hmong people, including material on family life and education in Laos up to 1975 and on their experiences in Thai refugee camps and in the United States. Chapter 3, "Linguistic Characteristics of the Hmong Language," provides an introduction to the Hmong…

In developing appropriate reading instruction for language minority children, the following factors should be considered: the developmental nature of literacy, the connection between speech and print, the conventions of the writing system, the importance of comprehension, the role of native language and literacy, and the transferability of skills.…

Between 1975 and 1987, 140,000 Cambodians arrived in the United States; most have settled in California. This handbook for teachers and administrators who work with Khmer students and their parents begins with an overview of Cambodian history, and pays special attention to events since the Communist takeover in 1975. The second chapter,…

This report presents the findings of a study which assessed the validity of statements made by officials of the Department of Education supporting their policy position that a requirement of native-language teaching be dropped from the current Bilingual Education Act. In response to the officials' claim that research in this area is inconclusive,…

The Bilingual Pupil Services Program (B.P.S.) has been administered for ten years by the Office of Bilingual Education of the New York City Public Schools. In the 1983-84 school year the project provided in-service training of para-professionals to work with students of limited English proficiency (LEP) in grades one through six in the already…