National Ed. Organizations and Bilingualism

     As a Spanish immersion teacher, I wanted to look into the prevalence of resources and policies regarding bilingual education in different educational organizations. In my research I dove into the websites for the following organizations: 

• National Education Association
• American Federation of Teachers
• Council of Chief State School Officers
• Common Core State Standards Initiative

      First, let's talk a little about "bilingual education," since it can take many forms. A broad definition is the "use of any two languages in school," but this looks different depending on the school's resources and the students' linguistic backgrounds. Classes can be majority English-speaking students who are acquiring a second language through immersion (one-way immersion, like the program I teach in), a blend of English-speaking students and ELLs who share a native foreign language (dual-language immersion or two-way immersion), primarily ELLs of the same native foreign language (they may receive instruction primarily in their native language or a blend of English and the native language), or a blend of ELLs with diverse linguistic backgrounds. Often in the latter case, those students receive native language support in the form of periodic translation, tutoring, or small-group sessions with a bilingual para-pro or aide. (For more information on bilingual education, see the resources listed below.)

     Each organization I researched focused on different facets of bilingual education.  The National Education Association (NEA) emphasized advocating for Hispanic ELLs, many of whom are first-generation Americans living in poverty and whose parents speak little to no English. I was stunned to learn that 80% of ELLs are Hispanics, and the poverty rate for Hispanic children in 2004 was 28.6%(Hispanics: Education Issues). NEA literature highlighted the over-representation of ELLs in special education programs, which goes to show how challenging it can be for teachers -- especially those who don't have an ESL or foreign language background -- to accurately assess and scaffold for ELLs' linguistic and socioeconomic difficulties. The lack of expert training and staffing can bog down special educators and sometimes means years of delay in appropriately diagnosing a child's language (or other) difficulties. 

     The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) had posted a few articles that didn't specifically address bilingual education, but reviewed it as one of many tools to assist ELLs. Specifically, they looked at programs that were working to acclimate and assist undocumented migrant children. Like the NEA, these articles acknowledged the importance of helping families and foster homes meet students' emotional and socioeconomic needs. For many migrant children, they may enter English programs later in their schooling and might not reach a native- or near-native level of English before graduating (if they are able to graduate at all). The AFT highlighted programs that are helping those students by providing alternatives, like entry-level job skills training(Meeting the Needs of Unaccompanied Child Refugees).

     There was a fascinating interview with a bilingual para-professional in Florida who talked about the joys and challenges of working with ELLs in small-group tutoring sessions. This is an option that many schools can use when a full bilingual program is not a possibility. Nachelly Peña, the interviewee, is bilingual in Spanish and noted that this allows her to teach and communicate clearly with her students. She often acts as an interpreter, confidant, and advocate for her students and their parents.  Ms. Peña noted that it is a challenge to teach the other students whose native language is not Spanish ("I try my best, and I use all the strategies I’ve been taught, but I still feel like there’s a gap when I work with students who speak a language other than Spanish at home.”) Another challenge is that para-pros often work at a part-time, hourly wage with little or no benefits. This can be frustrating and embarrassing when they do work that is comparable to salaried teachers(One Paraprofessional Makes a Difference). 

     The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) didn't have much information regarding bilingual education. One article pointed to studies regarding the links between instructional methods and student achievement. Another mentioned a news article highlighting what educators are doing in New York State to “increase accountability and opportunities for bilingual and dual-language instruction for students who do not speak English as their primary language.” That article raised a question regarding the Common Core Standards, which is how do teachers support ELLs in order to help them meet the Standards throughout their academic careers. The Common Core Standards website addresses this challenge, and emphasizes that ELLs should be held accountable to the standards along with all other students, but acknowledges that instruction and teaching methods will look different for those students.  A statement that I found both encouraging and challenging was, 

"Teachers should recognize that it is possible to achieve the standards for reading and literature, writing & research, language development and speaking & listening without manifesting native-like control of conventions and vocabulary(Standards, p. 1).

The Common Core website briefly touched on ways that this can be achieved: extra time and individualized support, as well as engagement in participation and conversation in the classroom while they are learning English. 

     At first I found it odd that none of these organizations had any statement to make about bilingual methods like one-way or two-way immersion, but I suppose those programs are specialized and occur less often in public schools than in private or charter schools. These groups are concerned about the quality of education for all students, and considering the linguistic diversity of our nation's students, addressing the needs of ELLs is an important and urgent issue for many educators. I was surprised and impressed with the amount of advocacy information that these organizations shared.  I didn't expect them to be so "political." But many teachers are faced with political decisions that affect their ability to appropriately teach their students, and advocacy is one way to address that. I hadn't realized the impact that "English-only laws" had on schools (some states lost a majority of their credentialed bilingual teachers following the passage of English-only laws)(All in!, p. 16). Political climates such as the one we're in now make it important for educators and the organizations that represent them to know how to effectively advocate for policies that benefit their students.  

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References:

Application of Common Core State Standards for English Language Learners. (n.d.). In Common Core State Standards Initiative. Retrieved July 2, 2016, from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/application-for-english-learners.pdf

Editors of American Educators. (Summer 2016). One Paraprofessional Makes a Difference. In American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved July 2, 2016, from http://www.aft.org/ae/summer2016/pena

Hispanics: Education Issues. (n.d.). In NEA. Retrieved July 2, 2016, from http://www.nea.org/home/HispanicsEducation%20Issues.htm

Maxwell, L. A. (2014, June 3). New York State Sets Focus on English-Learners. In EdWeek. Retrieved July 2, 2016, from http://www.ccsso.org/News_and_Events/Current_News/New_York_State_Sets_Focus_on_English-Learners.html

National Education Association. (n.d.). All In! How Educators Can Advocate for English Language Learners. In NEA. Retrieved from https://www.nea.org/assets/docs/18285_ELL_AdvocacyGuide2015_low-res_updated_6-23.pdf

Pierce, S. (Summer 2016). Meeting the Needs of Unaccompanied Child Refugees. In American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved July 2, 2016, from http://www.aft.org/ae/summer2016/pierce

Pinedo, P. (2007, May 24). The Best of Both Worlds. In NEA. Retrieved July 2, 2016, from http://www.nea.org/home/11334.htm#

Youngs, P. (April 2011). InTASC Research Synthesis. Retrieved July 2, 2016 from http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Publications/InTASC_Research_Synthesis.html

Resources:

FAQs on language immersion: http://carla.umn.edu/immersion/FAQs.html

Language legislation in the USA: http://www.languagepolicy.net/archives/langleg.htm#State

National Association for Bilingual Education: http://www.nabe.org/BilingualEducation

Center for Applied Linguistics: http://www.cal.org/areas-of-impact/english-learners/bilingual-and-dual-language-education