Initiative Essay -- Education Educational Papers

InitiativeThe aftermath of Proposition 227, form anyy titled the English Language for Immigrant Children Initiative, is as varied as the bilingual teaching methods it replaces. The publicise of how to educate limited English proficient (or LEP) children has become so politicized that the research on the subject is difficult to interpret. However, two aspects that appear to be problematic for all of Californias school districts are the vague language of the initiative (which is now law), and the lack of methodology for the new sheltered immersion programs. The resulting confusion has created a bilingual education system more fragmented than ever.According to the state Department of Education, approximately 1.4 of the 5.5 million school children in the United States are classified ad as LEP. Of those 1.4 million children, eighty percent are Spanish speaking and the remainder identify fifty-three other languages as their primary language (Prop 227 1). front to the passage of propositi on 227, 70 percent of Californias LEP students begetd culture primarily in English, including 31 percent who received specialized instruction in English scarce, 22 percent received specialized instruction in English with some primary language support, and 17 percent receive no specialized services The remaining 30 percent were in traditional bilingual classrooms and received a great deal of instruction in their primary languages (Prop 227 1). It is clear from the variety of services that had been offered (or not) that bilingual education varied greatly in the amount of primary language support that was used. It was also only used to teach approximately 50 percent of the LED student population.The amount of primary language support is t... ...ll Kemper. Sheltered Immersion Contrasts and Controversy. 1-4. Online. Internet. November 14,1998. easy http//coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/pages/seivcanadian.html.Proposition 227 English Language in Public Schools. 1-9. Online. internet. Novem ber 15,1998. Available http//www.sen.cagov/ftp/sen/sor/_home/educate/prop227.htm.Puente, Maria, Carol Morello. Bilingual Battle Still Rages In classroom. USA Today. November 13,1998 News 4A. Online. Internet. November 15,1998. Available http//web.lexis- nexis.com/ instauration/doc...23&md5=84077f81fr06bb22396cd3alf8be5ed8.Ramirez, Jaime. Telephone interview. December 1,1998.Terry, Don. Bilingual Education Lives After All. New York Times. October 3, 1998 Section A 7. Online. Internet. November 7,1998. Available http//web.lexis- nexis.com/universe/doc...ae&_md5=11a5d46e28d2958c8088df8df8267172c64.