Because rural communities have different needs and resources from those found in urban settings, nontraditional education programs provide alternatives to those features of modern mass education that respond primarily to urban needs. This digest looks at a few nontraditional programs and strategies, the problems to which they respond, and the…

This digest provides a history of American bilingual education in Spanish from the late 1950's onward, to help educators serve Mexican American students. From 1958 to 1968 curriculum reforms influenced by the launch of Sputnik combined with an influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants from Cuba to effect development of bilingual programs in south…

While the concept of bilingual education is well-intentioned and pragmatic for public schools, it is not well understood by educators who use it. Differences in understanding lead to diverse actions and contribute to the confusion surrounding the concept. Policymakers, theoreticians, researchers, and practitioners each view bilingual education…

The Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources reports an original bill (S. 1238) to amend the Bilingual Education Act to make federal financial assistance available for children of limited English proficiency without mandating a specific method of instruction, to encourage innovation at the state and local levels through greater administrative…

A handbook for participants of a workshop on the process of describing and documenting the implementation of bilingual programs is presented. The workshop is part of the Bilingual Technical Assistance project. Workshop objectives are to: generate implementation questions appropriate for a given bilingual program; apply a strategy for describing…

The document offers a historical perspective, practical suggestions, and guidelines for assessment, placement, and programming of bilingual handicapped students. Chapter 1 on the scope of the problem looks at student, personnel, and instrument variables affecting assessment of bilingual exceptional students. Among the factors discussed are…

Project MAS, in its second year of a three year funding cycle (1983-84), is a multi-site program providing instruction in English as a second language and native language arts, and bilingual instruction in math and science. It serves approximately 400 Spanish speaking students of limited English proficiency, in grades 3 through 8 at four Bronx,…

nter arguments are presented to defend the author's data selection practices and to point out pitfalls in Baker's critique. (SLD)

To assess perceptions and opinions about the local bilingual education program, 179 randomly selected individuals were surveyed by telephone and 37 Spanish-speaking individuals were interviewed in Spanish. Results showed that the majority felt bilingual education was the best way for Spanish-speaking children to learn English and funding should be…

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…

Examines three Nordic bilingual programs: (1) immersion, where majority children with a high status mother tongue learn a second language; (2) submersion, where minority children with a low status mother tongue are forced to learn the majority language; and (3) language shelter, where minority children learn the majority language as a second…

Presents the results of a national survey of graduates of bilingual education programs. Areas surveyed included: (1) level of English proficiency of graduates, (2) field of employment of graduates, (3) percentage of graduates teaching English as a second language, and (4) percentage of graduates in administration and teacher training. (SED)

There are clear differences in acquisition and developmental patterns between conversational language and academic language, or BICS (basic interpersonal communicative skills) and CALP (cognitive academic language proficiency). The conceptual distinction between these two levels highlights misconceptions about the nature of language proficiency…

Significant questions are raised concerning the Baker/de Kanter review, which concluded that "the case for the effectiveness of transitional bilingual education is so weak that exclusive reliance on this instructional method is clearly not justified." Sources used show methodological problems and multiple examples of deficiences in nine…

Examines how principles of U.S. language policy affect Japanese-language education in Hawaii. These principles are particularly relevant to Hawaii's "Shin Nisei" students. The state does not have a formal bilingual-education program that supports Japanese-language maintenance, but it provides extensive educational opportunities for…