Argues that the Reagan Administration halted the rapid expansion of bilingual education by reducing federal funding; redefined and weakened bilingual education policies by including single language programs within the definition of bilingual education; and severely restricted the civil rights aspects of bilingual education. Contains 38 references.…

Discusses the bilingual education-ESL (English as a Second Language) controversy, revealing similarities between accepted definitions of both approaches. Explains ESL theory and essential elements of bilingual education programs from an ESL viewpoint. Describes possible contributions to bilingual education programs from ESL teachers. Calls for…

A recent report by the U.S. Department of Education on the effectiveness of bilingual education programs reflects numerous issues that are at the very core of bilingual education. Two of these issues and their implications are discussed: the purpose of bilingual education and the nature of bilingual education programs. (Author/NQA)

Report analyzes some problems and issues confronting Asian and Pacific bilingual education raised in a study commissioned by the National Advisory Council on Bilingual Education. Areas examined include training and certification of bilingual education teachers, types of basic programs, and materials development, assessment and dissemination.…

The study examined the correspondence level between the opinions of 600 Mexican American parents of children in bilingual education classes and 60 Mexican American teachers in bilingual classes. Parents and teachers agreed on rationales for bilingual education programs and disagreed on the operative features of bilingual education in the…

Stresses that if bilingual education is to survive and grow, it is necessary to educate the general public about the benefits of bilingualism for both the limited English speaking and the English dominant, regardless of ethnicity. Suggests 10 strategies for promoting bilingual education and nurturing positive attitudes and commitments. (NEC)

Elaborates on cognitive/academic language proficiency and basic interpersonal communicative skills. Discusses assumptions regarding bilingual program exit and entry fallacies and implications for U.S. bilingual education. Argues that failure to adequately conceptualize the construes of language proficiency and its cross-language dimensions causes…

Anglo, Black, Hispanic, and Vietnamese parents with children enrolled in school districts in northeast Texas responded to a questionnaire to determinie their perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge about bilingual education. Responses revealed differences according to ethnicity, source of information about bilingual education, and whether a child…

Interview survey finds no significant difference in attitudes toward Spanish-English bilingual education between Chicano parents who were members of the Bilingual School Advisory Committee and Chicano parents who were not nor between parents and school principals. Identifies stronger motivation for bilingual education of parents of lower social…

The High School and Beyond data set, despite sample constraints, is an invaluable resource for researchers in bilingual education; it contains information from Hispanic students and parents, and from teachers and school administrators, and includes an excellent language file, useful for studying language shift and impact of bilingual education…

The article presents a brief overview of the state of the art of bilingual education, provides a background on how the government system responds to the opinions of its many publics, and deals with the political implications for bilingual education, and the need to develop political efficacy through Political Action Committee(s). (Author/NQ)

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…

Criticisms of the effectiveness of bilingual programs should consider the lack of basic and operational research needed to improve program quality. The present study provides evidence from 12 programs attesting to the effectiveness of bilingual education. (Author/NQ)

In 1982, 13 public school administrators were surveyed to identify issues and problems in bilingual education program administration. Key success factors are supportive leadership, staff training, effective educational technology, community-parent-teacher participation, flexibility, product-process considerations, theoretical understanding, and…

Identifies four misconceptions about language proficiency which are currently impeding the implementation of effective bilingual education programs. Misconceptions involve: (1) surface structure deviations and academic achievement; (2) surface fluency and "English Proficiency"; (3) bilingual language proficiency and instruction; and (4)…