As the 1968 Bilingual Education Act (BEA) reaches its 50th anniversary, we provide a critical historical review of its contradictory origins and legacy. By distilling the BEA's history into three periods that we label "power to the people," "pride for the people," and "profit from the people," we demonstrate that the…

Controversy surrounding the role of non-English languages in American education has a long history. In the 100 years in which the American Educational Research Association (AERA) has been in existence, two Supreme Court decisions have addressed this issue ("Meyer v. Nebraska," 1923, and "Lau v. Nichols," 1974); federal…

Little research currently examines language instruction educational programs (LIEPs) in states with a more recent growth of the Latino English learner population. To meet this need, the authors examined the content each of the state LIEPs, focusing chiefly on the extent to which the types of language support, as well as the stipulations associated…

The Bilingual Education Act of 1968 and the Lau v. Nichols Supreme court case (1974) have changed the way school districts prioritize education for English Learners. With the same intention to prioritize education for English Learners alongside foster youth and low income, former Governor Jerry Brown and the California legislature followed suit by…

Is the U.S. Supreme Court inviting litigants to take aim at unraveling injunctions in institutional reform litigation--especially consent decrees in the schools? In "Horne v. Flores" (2009), the court remanded a 17-year-old school reform case to a federal judge with orders to look beyond consent decrees on financing, reducing class…

Two related papers are presented. "Towards Quality in Bilingual Education: Some Things We Must Do," addresses nine specific areas that have been the focus of recent discussion and suggests steps for action. Principles that are basic to establishing criteria for quality bilingual education are suggested. The nine areas are: education…

In the Horne v Flores Supreme Court decision of June 25, 2009, the Court wrote that one basis for finding Arizona in compliance with federal law regarding the education of its English learners was that the state had adopted a "significantly more effective" than bilingual education instructional model for EL students --Structured…

Argues that integration and bilingual education are compatible and that, for a bilingual program to be constitutional, it should be both optional and open to all students. Available from University of Pennsylvania Law School, 3400 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; sc $3.00. (Author/IRT)

Bilingual education has had great impact on education in the United States. Bilingual education programs have existed since 1845. Between 1854-1877, eight states enacted laws stipulating that local school boards had the power to require English-German bilingual programs. Many bilingual education programs were created, thrived, and eventually died;…

Discusses the definition, recipients, and effectiveness of bilingual education; traces the legal history of the concept and the various attempts in search of a constitutional right to bilingual education; and summarizes the present interpretation by courts. (MLF)

This paper focuses on two issues: (1) whether bilingual education programs are the only way to satisfy the Supreme Court decision in Lau v. Nichols and (2) whether research findings clearly indicate that the bilingual approach is the best way to educate language-minority children. (CT)

The bilingual education movement, begun in the 1960's and virtually mandated by the 1974 Supreme Court Lau vs. Nichols decision, is highly controversial due to public perceptions of bilingual programs; the apparent departure from traditional school language policy; and the concept of bilingual education as a strategy for realizing the social,…

Four papers resulting from the fifth of a series of conferences on bilingual education are presented. "Current Perspectives" (L. Leann Parker, Shirley Brice Heath) discusses the status of bilingual education policy and related issues, including the problems of definition and goals, assessing bilingual education's effectiveness, program…

This collection of short articles focuses on bilingual education for Hispanics. The lead article cites statistics concerning the education of Hispanics, the segregation of Hispanics in schools, and the educational level they are likely to attain. The second article presents a historical perspective on bilingual education in American schools and…

Issues concerning bilingual education are discussed, with a focus on the effect of social class on educational outcomes. While bilingualism tends to be associated with some educational advantages for the upper class, it often appears to result in an additional handicap within the lower ranges. In many educational outcomes affecting bilinguals,…