Bilingual education has been at the center of controversies spanning educational reform to politics for generations. Unfortunately for students caught in the debate, the constant tug-of-war has stymied the appropriate focus on developing, enhancing, and researching the most effective bilingual programs and instead forced educators to conform their strategies to often unclear or fluctuating standards and goals. English Language Learners (ELLs) inevitably become lost in the confusion, paying an ultimate price that can impact their quality of life, future employment possibilities, and social experiences. The Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study (LISA) from the Harvard Immigration Projects at Harvard University started with a sample of 407 immigrant middle school students and followed them for five years until 2002. The researchers found that an alarming two-thirds of the students in their study showed declines in their grade point averages over the five years. Less than 25% (all of whom were considered high-achievers) were able to maintain high GPAs. (Zehr, 2007) From this data, it might seem that ELL students who are struggling, average, or even above average face a high probably of future school challenges and falling grades, despite bilingual programs and interventions. The roots of this decline are not entirely clear, but social and academic stress plays a major role. What is apparent is that when bilingual programs are eliminated, these students fare far worse over the long term, with graduation rates and assessment scores plummeting. The picture for ELL students who drop out before graduation is bleak at best. Students who don’t speak or read English may be denied a high school diploma based on graduation tests that do not fairly measure their skills, according to statistics from the Center on Education Policy. The study that produced this information also finds that ELL students pass graduation exams on their first try at least 30 to 40% less often than their English-proficient counterparts, further evidence that such tests are not an accurate way to measure what ELL students can actually do. In another study from the National Center for Policy and Higher Education, Latino ELL students listed the main obstacles they have to pursuing higher education: lack of guidance at home or at school, conflicting signals and low expectations from teachers, misinformation about college, seemingly attractive alternatives (jobs after high school), attitudes about college and affluence, ill-informed decision-making, and lack of organizational and follow-through skills. (Immerwahr, 2003) These obstacles, coupled with challenges of second language learning, stack against ELL students – from early on in their academic path. Research and push for best-practice implementation in bilingual programs locally. There is evidence that bilingual education actually results in lower dropout rates for students who are English language learners. (Samway and McKeon) In many regions in the US, there is strident opposition to bilingual programs yet very little education about the benefits of bilingualism. In order to strengthen existing programs and promote new efforts, it is important to disseminate research, information, and data concerning bilingualism and its benefits. Promote benefits of bilingualism from a national perspective. The persistent question a society must ask itself is, What is the possible drawback to being bilingual and biliterate? It is estimated that a bilingual program can cost as much as $525 per student. Although this represents a slightly more costly instructional approach, it should be noted that these programs contribute to “developing a national resource that is essential for a thriving, increasingly global economy and that is often underdeveloped … a bilingual and culturally responsive population.” (Samway and McKeon, 2007) Promote social and academic success for ELL students and families by validating their cultural heritage. The majority of parents of ELL students believe that the ideal schools for their children are bilingual schools or those that provide instruction with extra heritage language teaching. The main reasons ELL parents say they wish to maintain their heritage language are: maintaining cultural and religious heritage, strengthening family ties and moral values, keeping connections to cultural and language communities, and promoting bilingual skills for better job opportunities. (Lingxin Yan, 2003) So many ELL students fall through the gaping holes in schools today – to the detriment of an entire society. Declining grades, disaffection, and detachment from education are all the side effects of ineffective language assimilation programs. Effective bilingual programs; community, parent, and educator support; and shifted attitudes about bilingualism itself are all key to reaching and supporting ELL students. And while recent research may still paint a bleak image for ELL students, the reality is improved execution of bilingual programs and adapted teaching styles will positively impact ELL students, their families, and communities.
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