Transcript
  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    1

    ConfrontingtheEquityIssuesinDualLanguageImmersionPrograms:Asummaryofthe2018UCLAForumonEquityandDLEducation

    December7-8,2018

    PatriciaGándara,UCLAandRobertSlater,AmericanCouncilsResearch

    Section1.RationaleandOrganizationofForum

    DualLanguageImmersion(DLI)representsaneducationstrategythatoffersthe

    promiseofaccesstoqualityeducationforstudentsfromdiversebackgrounds,especially

    formarginalizedor“minoritized”ethnicandlinguisticpopulations.Althoughthereisno

    currentcensusofDLIprograms,programtypes,orenrollment,theevidenceofexpansionis

    considerable.Arecentreport(Gross,2016)citedanestimated2,000DLIprograms

    nationwide.Recenttrendssuggestthatestimateisdramaticallyunderstatedwith

    considerableproliferationinstatesincludingCalifornia,Delaware,NorthCarolina,Texas,

    andUtah.NewYorkCity,in2018-19added48newduallanguageprogramstothealready

    morethan175alreadyexistingprograms.DLIprogramsoperateindozensoflanguages

    acrossthecountry.Thegreatestdemand,byfar,isforSpanish-Englishprograms,giventhat

    morethanthree-quarters(77%)ofEnglishlearnersintheU.S.arespeakersofSpanish

    (USED,2017)andthegrowingappealtomonolingualEnglishspeakerstogaincompetence

    inSpanishforitseconomicvalue.

    OurfocusisonTwo-WayDLI(TWDLI)programswhichrequirethatbothnative

    speakersofEnglishandspeakersofthe“partner”language(e.g.Spanish)areeducated

    togetherinbothlanguages.Studentshavebothmodelsofnativespeechaswellas

    companionswithwhomtousethelanguagetheyarelearningina“naturalsetting.”

    Throughtwo-wayprograms,DLIoffersthepromisenotonlytoleveltheplayingfieldfor

    studentsbuttotransformschoolsandschooldistrictsthrough“purposefulintegration”of

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    2

    partnerlanguagespeakers(immigrantandU.S.-born)andEnglishspeakers(Ariasand

    Markos,2018),perhapsevenshiftingpopulationsthatmighthelpreversetrendsthat

    includeincreasedsegregationofLatinxandimmigrantpopulations.

    AlongwiththeavailableresearchdemonstratingthesuccessesofDLIareconcerns

    aboutpracticesandcontextsfordifferentgroupsofstudents.Therearepotentially

    significanteducationalachievementopportunitiesaffordedbyDLIprogramsasresearch

    evidencehasdemonstrated.Butthereisalsosignificantrisktoachievingthepromiseof

    DLIwhenstudentsandfamilieswithdifferentlanguageexperiences,cultures,

    socioeconomicstatus,andotherdemographicandpersonalhistorycharacteristicsdonot

    realizethepotentialfullbenefitsofDLI.Indeed,manyoftherisksareassociatedwiththe

    aspirationsofastrategythathasemergedsoquicklyandinsomanywayspushedthe

    boundariesofcurricularinnovation,teacherandadministratordevelopmentand

    preparation,alongwiththecapacityofschooldistrictstomakeeffectivedecisions

    regardingDLIschoolplacementandrulesofenrollment.Itisimportanttoassessdual

    languageprogramsinthecontextofchangingandevolvingtheoriesandpracticein

    education.

    OurgoalintheForumonEquityandDualLanguageEducationwastointroduce

    toduallanguageeducationaninformedandmoresystematicdialogueamongacademics,

    researchersandpractitionersabouttherelationshipsbetweenissuesofequityanddual

    languagepractices.Ourhopewastocreateopportunitiesforconstructiveengagement

    amongduallanguagepractitioners(schooladministrators,teachers)andeducationequity

    experts.

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    3

    WefocusedontheaccumulatingevidenceforDLprogramstonarrowthe

    achievementgapforstudentsfromdifferentraces,ethnicities,socio-economicstatusand

    languagebackgrounds.DLorientsschoolstoward“additivebilingualism”and

    multiculturalismwherebothlanguagesandtheirculturesarevalued.Equitably

    implementedDLentailslearningasaconstructiveandsocialprocessandemphasizes

    instructionalpracticesinanenvironmentthatvaluesallstudents.Yet,therearemany

    potentialequitypitfallsintheimplementationofsuchprogramsandimportantquestions

    thatouragendawilladdress:

    (1) TheidealTWDLImodelisabalanceof50%Englishand50%partnerlanguage

    speakers.TheefforttoenrollandappeaseparentsofEnglishspeakersbyallowing

    programstobecomeunbalanced(Dorner,2011),orthepracticeoftippingthe

    enrollmentbalancetowardspeakersofthepartner(e.g.Spanish)language

    significantlyimpactsthepowerofthetwo-waymodel.

    (2) DecisionsaboutwheretolocateDLandwhetherDLwillbewholeschoolor

    “strand”canhaveamajorimpact(sometimesunintended)onneighborhoodand

    schooldemographics.Itcanalsoexacerbatetransportationissues.

    (3) OftenmorepowerfulparentsofEnglish-speakingstudentscanpressureteachers

    toresponddisproportionatelytotheneedsoftheirchildren,resultingin

    potentially“watereddown”partnerlanguageinstructioninordertoaccommodate

    Englishspeakers.Thisunderminesdevelopmentofstrongprimarylanguageskills

    ofthepartnerlanguage(Valdes,1997).

    (4) Shortagesofteacherswithproficiencyinpartnerlanguageshaveledto

    “importing”teachersfromothercountries.Whiletheseteachersostensiblyspeak

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    4

    thesamelanguage,theymaydisparagethelocalidiomandlackconnectionto

    studentsduetovastlydifferentsocialandculturalbackgrounds(Cervantes-Soon,

    2017).

    (5) Thechoiceofpartnerlanguagemaybedeterminedbytheschooldistrictrather

    thantheneedsanddesiresofthelocalcommunity.Deprivingstudentsaccessto

    primarylanguagedevelopmentintheirnativelanguagecannullifythepotentially

    positiveimpactofDLprograms(Cheung,2017).

    (6) InadequateorunevenstandardsforDLprogramsrestrictthecapacitytoknow

    howwellstudentsarebeingtaughtinbothlanguages.Thisisexacerbatedbythe

    factthatnostaterequiresregularassessmentofthepartnerlanguagefor

    accountabilitypurposes.

    SectionII:TheStructureoftheForum

    AnorganizingcommitteecomposedofDr.PatriciaGándara(UCLA),Dr.Robert

    Slater(AmericanCouncilsResearchCenter),Mr.GreggRoberts(AmericanCouncils

    ResearchCenter),andDr.DonnaChristian(CenterforAppliedLinguistics)metseveral

    timesbyphonetodeterminethebestmodeforenablingdiscussionattheforum,identify

    criticaltopicsforpapers,androlesforpaperdiscussants.Weundertookabriefliterature

    reviewtoidentifynamesandtopicsthatwereprominentintherecentjournalliterature.

    Theteamsoughtasmuchgeographicdiversityaspossibleaswellindividualswhohada

    solidrecordofscholarship,nottheleasttoensurethatthecommissionedpaperswouldbe

    thoroughandcompletedinatimelyfashion.Itwasdecidedthatcommentators/reviewers

    wouldreceivethepapersatleasttwoweeksbeforetheconferenceandprovidefeedbackto

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    5

    theauthorass/hewished,andpreparea20-30minutesresponsetothepaper,including

    thepointstheyfeltweremostcriticaltoinsertinthediscussion.

    Thepapertopicsandauthorsanddiscussantswere:

    • RobertSlater,DonnaChristian,RichardBrecht,”Overviewofthefieldofduallanguageinstruction.”

    • KathrynLindholm-Leary,SanJoseState,“Duallanguageprogramplanningandequity”Discussant:AnaHernandez,CSUSanMarcos

    • ClaudiaCervantes-Soon,ArizonaState,“Race,socialjusticeandpowerequity.”Discussant:NelsonFlores,Penn

    • MagalyLavadenz,LMU,“RecruitingandPreparingtherightteachers.”Discussant:ShellySpiegel-Coleman,CaliforniansTogether

    • DeborahPalmer,UTAustin,“Equityandduallanguageimmersion.”DiscussantLisaDorner,UofMissouri

    Theagendafortheforumwasbuiltaroundthefivepapersandasmuchaspossible,during

    adayandone-halfmeeting,webuiltintimeforopendiscussion.Inadditiontothepaper

    presentersanddiscussantsweinvitedarepresentativegroupofresearchersand

    practitioners.Welimitedthetotalto40participantsinadditiontotheorganizing

    committeeandthreestudentnotetakersinanefforttomaximizeconversationand

    discussion.Itisnotablethatthiswasthefirsttimemanyoftheseparticipantshadmet.A

    copyoftheforumagendaisincludedintheappendix.

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    6

    PaperOverviews

    Slateretal.Overviewofthefieldofduallanguage:

    Thegoalofthispaperwastolayafoundationforthediscussionofequityissuesby

    summarizingsomeofthemorerecentresearch(andidentifyingsomecriticalgaps)that

    mightinformourunderstanding.Thepaperfocusedonthreekeyareasofresearch:(1)

    Academicoutcomes;(2)Biliteracyandbilingualism;(3)Socialandbehavioral

    development.Thepaperalsoincludedareportontheresultsofanunscientificsurveyof

    DLIadministratorsundertakeninSeptemberandOctober2018.Thegoalofthissurvey

    wastoidentifyissuesandareasofconcernacrossschooldistrictsthatwouldhelpguidethe

    equityconversation.

    AcademicOutcomes.Thereislimitedbutgrowingevidencethatsupportsthe

    argumentthatinstructionintwolanguagesfromearlygradesproduceshigheracademic

    achievementincoreacademiccontent(e.g.languagearts,mathematics,andscience)tested

    inEnglish,especiallyforEnglishlanguagelearners.Sincemosttestingiscarriedoutin

    English,itisdifficulttoassesstheroleofproficiencyinthepartnerlanguage,otherthanby

    assumingadegreeofbilingualismbasedonthecurriculumoffered.Thepaperdiscussesat

    somelengththefindingsfromanumberofrecentresearchefforts.

    Thereremainsomeseriousgapsandflawsinresearchonacademicoutcomes.

    Manystudies,particularlythosefromthe1990sandearly2000s,weresuspectbecauseofa

    failuretoadjustforselectionbias.DLIprogramshavenotbeenparticularlyattentiveto

    collectingsystematicdataonDLIstudentsmakingitdifficultforresearcherstoinvestigate

    longitudinaldata.Wehaveverylimitedresearchthatisabletocontrolforthedifferential

    effectsbyrace,ethnicity,orotherfactorssuchaspoverty.Itisalsoimportantto

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    7

    understandwhetherbenefitsholdacrossracial/ethnicgroups.Notably,AfricanAmerican

    studentpopulationshavebeenabsentfrommostresearch,perhapsbecausemanyDLI

    programsstruggletoincludethem.Duallanguageeducationresearchershavecalledfor

    suchresearchtoexaminetheeffectsofdemographicfactorsandwaysofproviding

    effectiveandequitableDLIforallstudents.

    BilingualismandBiliteracy.ItisclearthatthefuturesuccessofDLIdependsupon

    accommodatingrace,ethnicity,class,andsocialandeconomicstatusofitsstudents.The

    focusonproficiencyandusage/exposureprovidesmeasurablevariableswithin“core

    programelements”thattietocognitiveadvantagesproventoaffecteducational

    achievement.Understandingtherelationshipofdocumentablevariablesofproficiencyand

    usagewithrace,ethnicity,classandSESenablesbetterunderstandingofthedifferent

    cadresofstudentswhomustbeaccommodatedinDLIprogramming--whichstudentsare

    succeedingbytheseexplicitcriteriaandwhicharenot--andtodevelopappropriate

    curriculaandresponsivestaff,criticalstepsforwardinsocialjusticegoals.

    Theseconsiderationsraiseadditionalimportantquestionsthathavenotbeen

    addressedbyresearch:HowmuchDLIisenoughtoensuredesiredlevelsofbilingualismas

    definedtoincludebothproficiencyandusage/exposure?Whatistheeffectoftime-on-task

    anditsapportionmentforthetwolanguagesinclass(50/50vs.90/10,lengthofprogram)

    andoutofclass?DoeffectspersistoratrophyafterexitfromDLI?Doessubsequentcontact

    withoneorbothlanguagesmatter?HowdoesDLIprogramstudentmotivationandusage

    opportunities?Mostrelevanttoequity,doallDLIstudentsprofitanddotheyprofitequally

    intheirdevelopmentoflanguageproficiency?Ofcourse,inordertoanswerthese

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    8

    questionsitiscriticaltoincludeassessmentofthetargetnon-Englishlanguageinthe

    accountabilitystructurefortheseprograms.

    Social-EmotionalDevelopment.ConcurrentwithDLIexpansionistheemerging

    consensusthateffectivesocialandemotionalskillsareessentialtoachild’sdevelopment

    andsuccessasanadult.Social-emotionallearning(SEL)“istheprocessthroughwhich

    childrenandadultsacquireandeffectivelyapplytheknowledge,attitudes,andskills

    necessarytounderstandandmanageemotions,setandachievepositivegoals,feeland

    showempathyforothers,establishandmaintainpositiverelationships,andmake

    responsibledecisions.Evidencesuggeststhattheuseofachild’shomelanguageinthe

    classroomencouragescloserrelationshipsbetweenteachersandstudents,promoting

    betterbehaviorsintheclassroom.Thereisalsoconsistentevidencethatwhendifferent

    racialorlanguagegroupsarebroughttogetherinaclassroomunderequalstatus

    conditions,itcanresultinenhancedintergrouprelations.Givenincreasingconcernsabout

    equityininstructionalpracticesthepaperarguesthatgettingabetterhandleonsocial-

    emotionaldevelopmentwillguideDLIprogramsinfocusingmoreattentiononthose

    marginalizedstudents.

    Wedonotknowalotaboutthesocialandbehavioraldevelopmentofstudents

    enrolledinDLI.Itisarelativelynewfieldofempiricalstudyandhighlysubjectiveand

    inconsistenteffortsto“measure”andevaluatesocial-emotionaldevelopmenthavelimited

    ourunderstanding.Studiesalsosufferfrom(1)failuretotracklearners’social-emotional

    developmentovertime;(2)lackofsystematicdefinitionofDLLsacrossdatasets;(3)lackof

    differentiationamonglearnersfromnon-English-speakingbackgroundsbyassuming

    homogeneitywithinlanguagegroups(e.g.,allSpanishspeakersarethesame);and(4)

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    9

    inconsistenciesinapproachestoSELmeasurement.Withareenergizedefforttomore

    systematicallymeasureandanalyzeSELweshouldbebetterabletoassesstherolethat

    DLImightplayinthesocial,behavioralandidentitydevelopmentparticularlyofyoung

    children.

    SurveyofDualLanguageImmersionAdministrators.Inordertoreflectperspectives

    fromthefieldandgainsomeadditionalawarenessofhowpractitionersunderstandthe

    equityissue,theauthorsconductedabriefopen-endedsurveyduringSeptember/October

    2018.Eighty-twoDLIadministrators(notteachers)fromschools,districtsandstates

    acrosstheU.S.wereidentifiedandsent,viaSurveyMonkey,sevenbasicquestionsabout

    definingequityandidentifyingkeyequityissuesintheirschoolsandschooldistricts.Thirty

    -tworesponseswerereceivedfromadministratorsacross23states.

    Ingeneral,wewouldsaythattheresponseswerereflectiveofthestateoftheDLI

    fieldwithabroadrecognitionofthecriticalimportanceofequity,butalsoadegreeof

    uncertaintyastothedepthandbreadthofequityissuesandtheirpotentialimpactonDLI

    programs.Insomecases,respondentsindicatedtherewerenotsignificantequityissues

    becausetheirdistrictsarelocatedinpredominantlyEnglishspeakingandnon-immigrant

    communities.Itisclearatleastfromthe32respondentsthatasagrouptheyarewell

    awareoftheimportantequityissuesconfrontingDLIalthoughtheircharacterizationsof

    eachissuevaryandtheirapproachesandsolutionsrangefromsimplistictocomplex.

    KathrynLindholm-Leary,Duallanguageprogramplanningandequity

    Thispaperwasorganizedaroundfourmainthemes:administrativeequity,

    programmaticequity,schools,andparentsandcommunity.Thepaperwasdesignedto

    addressthekeyissuesinestablishingandoperatinganequitableduallanguageprogram

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    10

    fromamaterialandmanagerialperspective.Lindholm-Learytouchedatleastbrieflyon

    almostalloftheequityissuesthatwouldberaisedlaterbyotherauthorsandparticipants,

    yetfocusedherdiscussionatthelevelofthoseadministeringtheprograms.

    UnderadministrativeequityLindholm-Learyraisedtheneedtoensurethatthere

    isstrongsupportfortheprogramupanddownthechainofcommandinthedistrictsothat

    programsaresustainable.Resourcesmustbeavailabletodevelopandpurchase

    curriculum,materialsandassessmentinbothEnglishandthepartnerlanguage.Lindholm-

    Learyraisedtheissueofassessmentinthepartnerlanguageasthisisaweaknessofmany

    programsasinmostprogramspartnerlanguageassessmentisnotpartofany

    accountabilitysystemandweknowthatwhatismeasuredisvalued.Shealsonotesthe

    importanceofhigh-qualityprofessionaldevelopment,includingforspecialeducation

    teachers,anothercategoryofindividualsthatarefrequentlyoverlooked.Finally,under

    administrativeequityshepointstothecriticalissueofwhetherinplanningfortheprogram

    bothgroupsofstudents’(nativeEnglishandnon-nativeEnglishspeakers)needsare

    consideredequallyinplanningfortheprogram.

    UnderprogrammaticconcernsLindholm-Learynotesthatschoolsneedtothink

    aboutequityinsupportofdifferentprogramsservingtheneedsofEls,including

    transitionalanddevelopmentalbilingualprogramsinadditiontoDLI,andwhetherthe

    programswilladopta90-10or50-50approach,somethingthatneedstobediscussedby

    thecommunity.Althoughmanybilingualeducatorsconsider90/10tobetheideal,

    Lindholm-Learynotesthatthismustbeadecisionoftheparentsandcommunityiftheyare

    tobesupportiveoftheprogram.Ofcourse,thepartnerlanguage(s)mustalsobedecidedin

    anequitableway.ThereisadefaultnotionthatDLIprogramswillallbeSpanish/English,

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    11

    butdifferentlanguagecommunitiesneedtobeconsideredwherethereisgreaterdiversity

    oflanguagesandcultures.

    AcriticalissueinfosteringequitywithinDLIprogramsisdeterminingtheschool

    site.Thiscaneasilymakeorbreaktheprogramandresultinunequitableschoolingifnot

    thoughtthroughcarefully.Lindholm-Learyposesseveralquestions:Whatistheprofileof

    theneighborhood?Isitaccessibletoallgroups?Istransportationprovidedand/or

    available?Whatisthesocio-economicstatusoftheneighborhood;willallparentsfeel

    comfortablesendingtheirchildrentotheneighborhood?Areparentsconsultedinmaking

    thechoiceoflocation?OneofthethorniestproblemsinsettingupDLIschoolsorprograms

    istheselectionofstudents.Itiscommontohavelonglistsofstudentswantingtoenroll

    andnotenoughspacetoaccommodatethem.Itisalsocommontoexperiencechallengesin

    enrollingsufficientnumbersofnativespeakersofthepartnerlanguage,yettheprogram

    cannotbeequitablewithoutanequitabledistributionofstudents.So,thesitingofthe

    schoolcanbekeyinattractingbothgroupsofstudentsinsomethinglikeequalnumbers.

    Finally,whatwillhappentostudentsastheytransitiontomiddleandhighschool?Isthere

    anappropriateandaccessibleschoolavailablewhenstudentscompleteelementaryschool?

    Parentswillweighthisindeterminingiftheywanttoenrolltheirchildren.

    Doprogramplannersconsiderthefullrangeofdiversityinthedistrictandprovide

    equitableopportunitiesforallofthesestudents?Underthetopicofstudentsand

    families,Lindholm-Learydrillsdownintotheselectionprocessintermsofrecruitment.

    Doestheschoolrecruitfromallcommunities?ArediversenativeEnglishspeakers

    recruitedandaccepted?Doestheprogramacceptstudentswhodonotspeakeitherofthe

    languagesbeingtaught?Arespecialeducationstudentsenrolled?Withrespecttofamilies

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    12

    therehasbeenaconcernthatmoresavvy,middleclassparentstendtowield

    disproportionatedecision-makingpower.Areparentsfromthefullrangeofcultural,

    linguisticandsocio-economicgroupsrepresentedindecisionmaking?

    RosaMolina,PresidentoftheAssociationofTwo-wayandDualLanguageEducation

    (ATDLE),steppedinforKathrynwhohadamedicalemergencyatthelastminute.Molina

    presentedthepaperthatKathrynhadwrittenbutprovidedherownemphasisaswell.She

    emphasizedtheimportanceofthestudentsandparentsbeingatthecenterofdecision

    making—“it’stheirprogramnottheschool’s”--butalsocalledattentiontothepolitical

    natureofstudentselection.Shepointedoutthatdiversityintheprogramsisastrength

    andtheprogramsshouldendeavortoincorporateIFEPs,specialeducation,anddiverse

    Englishspeakersaswellasthosestudentswhospeakthetargetlanguage.Theissueof

    IFEPsisanimportantoneasoftentheyareoverlookedwhenprogramsarelookingto

    includespeakersofthepartnerlanguage(whichisinterpretedasEnglishlearners)and

    nativespeakersofEnglish(whichisinterpretedasEnglishonlyspeakers).Thestudent

    thatspeaksbothisanassetintheclassroom.Shealsoemphasizedtheimportanceof

    carefulplanningbeforelaunching,otherwiseprogramsfail.

    AnaHernandezresponsetoKathrynLindholm-Leary

    AnaHernandezprovidedcommentaryonthepaperandpresentation.Shechoseto

    emphasizepointsinthepaperthatsheconsideredespeciallyimportant,including:

    • TheimportanceofaligningothercurricularofferingswiththeDLI

    programs,suchaSTEAMcoursesandotherstudentinterests.Hernández

    cautionedusthat“Wetendtosetthestructures,aswellasthelimits,to

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    13

    accesswhenequityisweakenedbyourownconfiningvisionsandlow

    expectationsforstudentpotential.”

    • Two-thirdsofbilingualteachershavereceivedtheircredentialsthrough

    examinationandnotthroughastrongprogramthatprovidedguided

    experienceintheclassroomandintensivepreparation.Sheurgedthat

    professionaldevelopmentattendtothisweaknessinthepreparationof

    manyDLIteachers.

    • Hernándezcalledout“society’sbiasforthelanguageofprestigein

    education[whichis]compoundedbyaweakideologicalstanceon

    bilingualismandbiliteracy.”Thisleadstowardabiasfor50/50versus

    90/10instruction,whichnotonlyshortchangesthenativelanguage

    educationofELstudentsbuthasbeenshowntohaveweakeroutcomes

    forall.ShealsourgedanemphasisonDLIpre-schooleducationascritical

    forstudents’identityandnativelanguagedevelopment.

    • Hernándezurgedadministratorstoattendtobuildingcommunity

    especiallyinschoolswhereonlyastrandisdedicatedtoDLIandfeelings

    ofneglectorunfairadvantagecanoccur,dividingfacultyandreducing

    supportfortheprogram.

    ClaudiaCervantes-Soon,Race,SocialJustice,andPowerEquityinDualLanguageEducation

    Cervantes-Soontakesonwhatiseffectivelytheelephantintheroom:socialjustice

    inprogramsthataredesignedtoattract“advantaged”mainstreamEnglishspeakerswhile

    alsoprovidingastrongeducationforimmigrantand“minoritized”students.Sheargues

    that,fromanhistoricalperspective,thelanguageminority(LM)studentsshouldbethefirst

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    14

    priorityforanytwo-wayprogram.Itisthey,sheasserts,whomostneedanddeservea

    strongprogramthatservestheirinterestsastheyhavebeenhistoricallyundervaluedand

    underservedbytheeducationsystem.Shearguesthatbilingualeducationhaseffectively

    been“hijacked”byDualLanguageprogramsthatoftenservetheinterestsofthepowerful

    majoritystudentsattheexpenseoftheminoritizedstudents.Shenotes“thewaysinwhich

    neoliberalpolicies,globaleconomicinterests,andemphasisondevelopinghumancapital

    havebecomethemoralcompassguidingtheseprograms.”Thatis,theyhavelosttheir

    moralcompassandtradeditinforalinguisticcommodity.

    Cervantes-SoonfirstnotedtheequitableoutcomesthatLMstudentsaresupposed

    toderivefromDLIprograms,includingincreasedacademicachievement,decreased

    segregation,additivebilingualism,strengthenedsenseofidentityandgreaterengagement

    offamiliesinstudents’learning.Shethenarguesthattheseoutcomesoftendonot

    materializebecauseofhegemonicWhitenessandthedominanceofEnglishthroughoutthe

    society.TheunrealizedpromiseofDLEisdescribedlargelyasaresultofpoor

    implementationofprogramsthatdonotincorporatestrategiesdesignedtocounterthe

    inherentbiasinfavorofmajoritywhitestudents.Forexample,programsthatmayseekto

    desegregatestudentsbutlackstrategiesforcreatingequalstatuslearningopportunities;

    studentsallowedtore-segregatewithintheclassroom.ButCervantes-Soonseesthe

    problemasbeingmorethanafailuretoimplementequitablestrategies,shefindsthetotal

    lackofasocialjusticeorientationtobeacriticalfactorintheinequitybuiltintomany

    programs.

    Cervantes-Soonconcedesthatthesocietyasawholeisnotlikelytochangeradically

    inthenearfutureandtheseprogramswillhavetocontinuetoexistwithinasocialcontext

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    15

    thatisfundamentallyunjustinmanyways.Giventhisreality,shearguesfora“fourth

    pillar”ofDLE—criticalconsciousness.Thatis,educatorsmustlearntoconstantlyreflect

    ontheirpracticeandquestiontheiractionsthroughasocialjusticelens.Beingawareofthe

    injusticesthatcanoccurintheDLEclassroomisthefirststep.Thenextstepistohonestly

    confrontthewaysinwhichonemaycontributetotheseinequitiesandseektochangeone’s

    ownbehaviorinfavorofcreatingamoresociallyjustclassroom.

    NelsonFlores,ResponsetoCervantes-Soon

    Floreshighlightedthepoliticalnatureoftwo-wayduallanguageprogramsand

    critiquedthepresumedneedforwhitestudentstoparticipateintheseprograms,drawinga

    parallelwithBrownvBoardofEducationandstrugglesfordesegregation.Hearguedthat

    thetwopoliciesaresimilarinthattheyrelyonageneralizedbeliefabouttheminoritized

    studentsbeingpsychologicallydamaged,withtheonlycureforthisdamagebeingtomix

    themwithwhitestudents.HisprimarythesisappearstobethatLMcommunitiesshould

    havethecontrolovertheirownlanguageprogramswithoutconcernfortheparticipation

    of“white”students(whichmustbeastandinforanyadvantagedstudents).Heconcludes

    thattwo-wayprograms(can)sufferfromneo-liberalideologythatdefinesLMstudentsas

    inferiorandneedingtheassistanceofnativeEnglishspeakers.However,totheextentthey

    doexistheasserts,asdoesCervantes-Soon,thatitisessentialtodevelopacritical

    consciousnesswithinthem.

    DeborahPalmer,EquityandDualLanguageImmersion:Curriculum

    Palmeropensherpaperwiththestatementthatshewouldaddress“thewaysin

    whichboth“whatweteach”and“howweteach”inaTWBEclassroomneedtochangein

    ordertobemoreequitable.”Continuingonthethemeofcriticalconsciousnessintroduced

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    16

    byCervantes-Soon,Palmerarguesthat“TWBEcurriculamustexplicitlyteachcritical

    awarenessofoppressionandhegemony,”andcenterthestoriesofmarginalizedgroups

    withinthecurriculum.Palmeralsoassertsthatanothertermforcriticalconsciousnessis

    “ideologicalclarity,”suggestingthattheeducatorisawareofhisorherownideological

    leaningsandthepracticesthatflowfromthesebeliefsorattitudes.Palmermakesthree

    recommendationsatthetopofherpaper:

    • Equitablecurriculumwithintwo-wayduallanguageprogramsshould

    includecontentthatreflectsthestoriesandexperiencesoftheLMstudents.

    • Structuringandvaluingtheparticipationofallstudentsintheclassroom

    and“centeringoftenmarginalizedinteractionalanddiscoursepatterns”of

    minoritizedstudents.(This,bytheway,isnotverydifferentfromthework

    ofElizabethCohenandRachelLotan,2004,whodevelopedpedagogical

    strategiesfor“equalstatus”classroompracticesandLotan’sextensive

    workintheareaofequalstatusforLMstudents.)

    • Deliberatelanguageuse,whichincorporatesstudents’everydayuseof

    language,suchastranslanguagingandtheuseoflanguagesseparatelyand

    together.

    Palmerfaultsmonoglossicpractices–therigiduseofonlyonelanguagein

    multilingualcontexts,includingassessmentinEnglish--asbeingamajorculpritin

    inequitableeducationofLMstudents.Alsonamedasafactorininequitablecurriculumis

    thehistoryofbilingualeducationinwhicheducatorswere--andare—oftenforcedintoa

    transitionalcurriculuminwhichtheactualgoalwasandisEnglish(monolingualism).Dual

    languageprogramscaninterruptthisideologybutthecosttotheLMstudentscanstillbe

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    17

    highiftheirlanguageisnotgiventhesamevalueasEnglishandthisisnotexplicitinthe

    curriculum.

    Palmeroffersadiscussionof“translanguaging,”apedagogythathasgainedsome

    tractioninbilingualandduallanguageprogramsbuthasalsofosteredagreatdealof

    controversyandconfusionaboutwhatismeantbytheterm.AsPalmernotes,itshouldnot

    bealanguage“free-for-all”butalongwithdesignatingcertaininstructionalperiodsor

    topicstobe“Spanishfocus”and“Englishfocus,”schoolsmightexplicitlydesignatea

    “translanguaging”or“bilingualfocus”timeduringtheschoolday.Thenotionbehindit,as

    explainedbyPalmer,isthatstudentswhoarealreadyusingtwolanguagesintheirdaily

    lives,asisincreasinglythesituationinduallanguageandbilingualprograms,shouldnotbe

    madetofeelthattheirlinguisticrepertoiresorthattheirdualidentitiesareunacceptable

    orinferior.Itiscriticaltocommunicatetostudentsthatallkindsoflanguagepracticesare

    legitimateandappropriatefordifferentsituations.Hencethecurriculumshouldbe

    designedwiththisinmind.

    Finally,Palmeradvocatesforeliminatinghighstakesstandardizedtestsineither

    languagebecausetheycannotfullyaccountfortheuniquelybilingualuseoflanguageof

    studentsinduallanguageprograms.Shearguesthatassessmentfortheseprogramsmust

    bere-thoughttoinclude“alternativeandenrichingformsofassessment,suchasportfolios,

    studentrunconferencesandculminatingpresentations.”Thisisacriticalissueforthe

    field.

    LisaDorner,UncoveringtheHiddenCurriculum:ResponsetoPalmer

    ProfessorDorner’sresponsetothePalmerpaperwasprimarilytoreassertthe

    importanceofcriticalconsciousnessonthepartofDLIeducatorssothattheirpedagogy

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    18

    wasoneofempowermentofLMstudents.Hersecondpointwastheimportanceofusing

    CriticalDiscourseAnalysis(CDA)tolookforthe“hidden”inthecurriculumandshe

    suggestedthatthisshouldbedonewitheveryoneinvolvedintheseprograms,from

    administratorstoparents.Whileitwasnotclearhowthiswouldbeconductedinmost

    cases(whoinitiates,whodocuments,whotrainseducators,etc),shesuggestedthat

    dinnerswithparentsinwhichtheirstoriescouldbetoldandtheirexpectationsofthe

    programcouldbeuncoveredwouldbeoneimportantwaytoengageparents.

    DorneralsorecommendedBelovedCommunity(https://www.wearebeloved.org),

    whichfocusesonhelpingorganizationstoaligntheirpracticestosupportdiversity.The

    CEO,RhondaBroussard,waspresentatthemeeting.

    MagalyLavadenz,PreparingandSupportingBilingualTeachersforEquityinTwoWayDualLanguageImmersionPrograms:ABilingualEpistemologicalFrameworkforTeaching,ResearchandPolicy

    Afterprovidingabriefintroductiontoahistoryofbilingualeducation,uptoand

    includingthepassageofProposition58in2016inCalifornia,whichremovedthegeneral

    prohibitiononbilingualeducationinCaliforniaandencouragedcommunitiestomount

    bilingualandduallanguageprograms,Lavadenzfocusedonthecertificationofteachersfor

    bilingualprograms.Shefoundthat“analysisofcurrentstatebilingualcertification

    requirementsrevealsthattwenty-threeoutofthefiftystatesandtheDistrictofColumbia

    offerbilingualcertification.Ofcourse,thatmeansthatthemajorityofstatesdonotyet

    offerthiscertification.Adeeperexamination,however,showsthatstatesdifferbroadlyin

    thecriteriarequiredfortheauthorization“includingsomestatesthatsimplyapplyatestof

    unknownvaliditytocredentialteachers”withorwithoutanyformaltraininginbilingual

    education.

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    19

    WhileLavadenzarguesthatthereisnoconsensusinthefieldabouthowexactlyto

    bestpreparebilingualteacherstoaddresstheburgeoningneed,shenotesthat“advancing

    allstudents’capacitiestosucceedinthe21stcenturywillrequirespecialattentionto

    closingtheachievementgapandaddressingequityissues.Itwillalsorequireanexpanded

    repertoireofliteracyandacademicskillsincludingtechnology,intercultural

    communicationandcriticalinquiry.”AmajorproblemLavadenzidentifiesinarrivingat

    consensusstandardsorcompetenciesforbilingualteachersisthewithdrawaloffederal

    fundsforpreparingbilingualpersonnelinIHE’swhomightconducttherequiredresearch

    tobeabletoknowwhichofthesecompetenciesaremostcritical.Thisfundingwas

    providedaspartoftheBilingualEducationActuntilitsdisappearanceunderNCLB.

    Lavadenzthenassertsthatthebestapproachtounderstandingwhatteachersneed

    toknowandbeabletodotosuccessfullyandequitablyeducateLMstudentsshould

    borrowfromtheworkofLeeShulmanonPedagogicalContentKnowledge(PCK).PCK

    includes“(1)knowledgeofrepresentationsofsubjectmatter(contentknowledge);(2)

    understandingofstudents’conceptionsofthesubjectandthelearningandteaching

    implicationsthatwereassociatedwiththespecificsubjectmatter;and(3)general

    pedagogicalknowledge(orgeneralizedteachingstrategies);(4)curriculumknowledge;(5)

    knowledgeofeducationalcontexts;and(6)knowledgeofthepurposesofeducation.”

    Lavadenzproposesa7thelement,thatofMultilingualPedagogicalContextKnowledge.

    Addingtothissheincludesmultiliteracycompetencies—theabilitytoeffectivelyusetools

    suchasmetalinguisticawareness.

    InthefinalsectionofthepaperLavadenzdescribesaseriesofinterviews,analysis

    ofclassroomobservationsandartifactswith11bilingualteachersoverathree-yearperiod

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    20

    todemonstratecriticalissuesrelatedtoknowledgeinpractice,orbilingual

    epistemologies.Shedescribeshowteachersusecross-culturalknowledgetoadvocate

    fortheirstudents,understandingtheirparticularcircumstances.Shedescribeshow

    bilingualteachersusetranslinguisticrepertoiresforteachingandstrategiestobring

    nativelanguagein“fromthemargins”ofclassroominstruction,includingtheusecognates

    asbridgesbetweenEnglishandSpanish.Shethendescribestheuseoftranslanguagingin

    theclassroomtorespecttheactualwaysinwhichstudentsusemorethanonelanguagein

    naturalcommunication—unlikethemorerigidformsofinstructionthatrequirestrict

    separationoflanguages.(Thisisanareaofbilingualpedagogythatisstillunder

    considerablediscussion.)Lavadenzalsoprovidesmultipleexamplesofbilingualteachers’

    criticalagencyinwhichtheseteachersidentifiedunjustpracticesandbeliefsystemsand

    acted,ofteninconcertwiththeirstudents,toaddresstheseinjustices.Inonecasethe

    teacherandherclassroombeganacampaigntoincludeacriticaleventinMexican

    Americanhistorythathadbeenomittedfromtheirhistorybooks.Thisultimatelyresulted

    inalegislativebillthatchangedthestatecurriculum.

    Lavadenzendsonanoteabouttheimportanceofpreparingbilingualteachersto

    havecriticalconsciousnessabouttheirwork“especiallyinthistime”whensomany

    injusticesarebeingexperiencedbystudentsfromimmigrantcommunities.

    ShellySpiegel-Coleman,ResponsetoLavadenz

    Spiegel-Colemandirectsaconsortiumthatiscomprisedonapproximately20

    individualprogressiveorganizationsinCaliforniathatareprimarilyengagedinpromoting

    educationalequity.HercommentstoProfessorLavadenz’spaperfocusedonwaysin

    whichitcouldbestrengthenedbyincorporatingadditionalconversations,suchas

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    21

    providingmorediscussionabouttheissueoftranslanguaginginactualpractice.Spiegel-

    Colemanquestionstheconclusionthatfailingtorespecttranslanguagingintheclassroom

    leadstodenigrationofstudents’identities,orweakerlearning.InherpresentationSpiegel-

    ColemanarguedthatthecriticalissueforDLIistherecruitmentandpreparationofhighly

    qualifiedbilingualteachersandpointedtowardCalifornia’sTogetherpolicybriefon

    BilingualTeacherShortageinCalifornia.Shepointedoutthatthebrief,basedonsurveysof

    dozensofdistricts,notesthattherearethousandsofteacherswhocouldqualifyas

    bilingualteachersbutthattheyneed–bytheirownadmission—intensiveprofessional

    developmenttobereadytoentertheclassroom.This,Spiegel-Colemanarguesiswhere

    oureffortsshouldbefocusedasqualityofinstructionisthemostimportantissueforDLI.

    SectionIII

    Thepaperssucceededinprovokingdiscussionamongparticipants.Itwasclear,

    however,thatdiscussionoftheequityininstructionalpracticesintheclassroom

    overwhelmedtheconversationandtendedtolimitdialogueonotherequityissues,

    particularlythoseraisedbyLindholm-Leary’spaper.Ascanhappeninuncomfortable

    conversationsaboutequityandinjustice,somevoicesareheardmoreloudlyand

    consistentlythanothers,andsomeappeartobesilenced.Duringtheconcludingdiscussion

    weidentifiedanuneasinessamonganumberofparticipantsthatimportantequityissues

    hadbeenignored.Forthisreason,weendedthetwo-daymeetingwithanappealto

    participantstocompleteaveryshortsurveyexpressingtheiropinionsonafewkey

    questionstobemailedoutshortlyaftertheconference.Ourappealwastocaptureall

    voicesandensurethatallperspectiveswereultimatelyincorporatedinthefinalreportand

    workthatwouldcontinue.Afterseveralgentleremindersvirtuallyallparticipants

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    22

    responded.Belowisasnapshotoftheresponses,whichrangedfromasinglesentenceto

    morethanapage.

    1. Inorderofimportance,whatdoyouconsidertobemostimportantandurgentissuesinvolvingequityintwo-wayduallanguageprograms?

    Thesingleissuemostoftenraisedbyrespondentswasequityinaccess.Yetall

    respondentsdidnotmeanthesamethingbythis.Manyworriedaboutsufficientaccessby

    Englishlearners,thatmiddleclassEnglishspeakershavegreateraccesstotheprograms.

    Somenotedother“minoritizedstudents,”specialeducationstudents,speakersofother

    languages,studentswhowereheritagelanguagespeakersandalsoEnglishspeakers

    (IFEPs),andparticularlyAfricanAmericanstudents.Thisconcernwasexpressedbyone

    respondentaschangingthenarrativethatallEnglishspeakersarewhite.Buttherewere

    alsoconcernsexpressedthatequitableaccessneededtofocusonstudentsfromdifferent

    backgrounds(andnotsimplyminoritizedstudents)gainingcross-culturalcompetence.

    Otherissuesthatwereraisedbymultiplerespondentsasimportantandurgent

    were(1)therecruitmentandpreparationofteachersforwhatisaverycomplexjob;(2)

    assessmentthatalignswiththeduallanguagenatureoftheprogramsandthatdoesnot

    simplyfocusontheacquisitionofEnglish;(3)participationofallparents,whichrequires

    thatprogramsprovideadequateinformationtoallparents.Therewasnotalotmentioned

    aboutthemethodsforselectingstudentswhentherearelonglistsofstudentswanting

    access.Weknowthistobeachallengeforpractitioners.

    2. Whydoyouthinktheissue(s)you’vementionedaresocritical?

    Theconcernaboutwhogetsaccesstotheseprogramswasdrivenbycompeting

    notionsofgood:“manyofourDLIprogramsarecovetedbymainstreamwhiteEnglish

    dominantculture....andshiftstomeettheinterestsofthosestudents”versus

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    23

    “MultilingualismforALLisamessagethatIbelieveisheretostay.Wecannotreturntothe

    daysofbilingualeducationforsome.”Ifbi/multilingualismistobeforall(which,bythe

    way,isinherentinCalifornia’snewGlobal2030policy),andthereisalimitedsupply,then

    whodeservesitmost?Howdoweequitablyallocatealimitedresource?Thesearethe

    questionslurkingbeneaththeconcernsaboutequitableaccessexpressedbyrespondents.

    Testingthatdrivespedagogy(especiallystandardizedtestinginEnglishonly)was

    namedbyseveralrespondentsasakeyimpedimenttoprovidingequitableeducationforall

    students.Assessmentandaccountabilityneedtoreflectthecoredifferencesinthese

    programsversusmonolingualEnglishinstruction.

    3. Dobestpracticescurrentlyexistthatmighthelpaddresstheseissues?Ifso,pleasedescribethesebestpractices.

    Alargenumberofrespondentswereeitherunsureofwhatthesepracticesmightbe

    orwereconcernedabouthowwidelyapplicabletheymightbeacrossdifferentcontexts.

    However,withrespecttoequityofaccess,severalpeoplementionedlotteriesforadmission

    andholdingacertainnumberofseatsforELs.OnerespondentnotedthatCaliforniapolicy

    istoadmitnofewerthan40%ELand40%Englishdominantinordertomaintainagood

    balanceofthetwogroups.Ofcourse,itisnotclearwherethebilingualstudentfitsintothis

    paradigmorwhetherrace/ethnicityshouldbetakenintoaccount,ornot.

    Intermsofotherurgentissues,somerespondentsnotedtheimportantresearchon

    culturallysustainingpedagogiesandtheopportunitytopressstatesforsomethinglikea

    Spanish-Englishteacherlicensureexam.Anotherpracticementionedbymorethanone

    respondentwasbetteroutreachto“minority”communitiesandfamilies.Itwasmentioned

    thatorganizationsinthestatessuchasCaliforniaAssociationforBilingualEducation

    (CABE)offerworkshopsforpractitionersonplanningDLIprograms.Anotherrespondent

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    24

    offeredthatacompilationofbestpracticesintheliteraturewouldbeausefulcontribution

    tothefield.Onerespondentreplied“Ofcoursetherearebestpracticesbutthereisno

    consensusaboutwhattheyare.”

    4. Whatequityissueswerenotraisedduringtheforumthatshouldhavebeen?

    Manyrespondentscouldnotthinkofanimportantissuethatwasnotraised,

    howeveramongthosethatofferedanissue,theseincluded:

    • Raceandthecriticalroleitplaysinallofeducation,inparticularwithrespect

    toduallanguageeducation

    • Transportation(thiswasnotelaboratedonbutisknowntobeamajorissue

    inequityofaccesstoanykindofmagnetprogram)

    • RuralschoolsattemptingtoestablishDLIprograms

    • Theimpactofimmigrationenforcementontheseprograms

    • LatearrivingELsandaccesstotheseprograms

    • Funding,e.g.,howtousefederalfundsfortheseprograms

    • ResearchonculturallyresponsiveDLIprogramsforAfricanAmericansand

    other“globalmajority”students

    TheissueofDLIasatoolfordesegregation,whileraisedbysome,wasnotdiscussedinany

    depthduringtheforum,somethingthatsurprisedtheorganizerswhohadseenthisasa

    keyissueandpotentiallypowerfuloutcome.Noonementioneditasnumber1or2urgent

    orimportantissues.

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    25

    5. Whatdoyouseeascriticalworkthatneedstobedonebyresearchersandpractitionerstoaddressthemostimportantissues?

    Twomajorthemeswerementionedinresponsetothisquestion:(1)Morefine-

    grainedandlongitudinalresearchonavarietyofoutcomesfortheseprogramsandbetter

    understandingofbestpracticeswithdiversestudentsandcontexts;and(2)researchon

    bestpracticesforpreparingteachersforDLIprograms.Withrespecttotheformer

    respondentsarticulatedaneedforcasestudyresearchtounderstandprocessesaswellas

    longitudinaldatacollectiononavarietyofoutcomes,notjusttestscores.Onerespondent

    alsosuggestedtyingthisresearchtoothernationalstudiesthatexaminedoutcomesfor

    ESSA,forexample.Severalrespondentsmentionedtheneedtohavebetterunderstanding

    ofstudents’needsbeyondthearchtypesofLatinoELand“white”Englishspeakers.

    Inherentinanumberofresponsesthroughoutthesurveywastheneedtogaina

    consensusonthecriticalcompetenciesforDLIteachersbeforeitwillbepossibletodefine

    bestpracticesforteacherpreparation.Someworkexistsnowinthisarena(e.g.,Faltis&

    Valdés,2016;Menken&Antuñez,2001),butthisislargelyreviewsofexpertopinionsand

    perspectivesratherthanempiricalstudies.Empiricalresearchoncriticalcompetenciesfor

    thesub-fieldofduallanguagelearningwithinthebroadercontextofbilingualeducation

    couldmovethefieldforward.

    6. Therewasdiscussionofwhattocallspeakersofotherlanguages(ELs).Doyouhavepreferredterminology?

    Thereappearstobeagrowingconsensusthatitistimetocomeupwithabetter

    wayofdescribingstudentslearningintwolanguagesthantheterm“EnglishLearners,’

    whichonlydescribeswhattheydonotpossess—English—ratherthanamoreassets-

    basedtermthatreflectswhattheyDOhave—atleastoneotherlanguageinadditionto

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    26

    theonetheyarelearning.Thisisespeciallytrueforstudentswhoareindeedlearning

    intwolanguages.However,therewasnoconsensusatallonabetterlabel.Asmany

    respondentsrepliedtheyhadnoideasinthisregardasofferedasuggestion.Many

    statedforbureaucraticpurposesitwassimplyeasiertostickwithEL,whileanequal

    numbersuggestedtermssuchasbilinguallearner,multilinguallearner,emergent

    bilingual,duallanguagelearner(whichhasbeenwidelyadoptedamongpre-school

    practitioners).ItwouldappearthatthefieldwillprobablystickwithELforthetime

    being,untilabroaderconsensusformsaroundsomenewterminology.Butlabelscan

    bepowerfulinframingbeliefsystemsandthisshouldremainanareaofactivedebate

    asitcanchangecommonperceptionsofthevalueofmultilingualismandthe

    individualswhopracticeit.

    SectionIV:Conclusions

    Thereasonableexpectationisthatthefirsttwo-daynationalforumonequityand

    duallanguagewouldintroduceandinitiateconstructivediscussionofthechallenges

    inherentincreatingequitabletwo-wayduallanguageprogramsforstudentsofwidely

    varyingbackgroundsattendingschoolsinverydiversecontexts.Fromallaccountsthe

    Forumsuccessfullyaddressedthisexpectation.Mostparticipantsnotedthattheyfeltit

    representedanimportantfirststepandthatsucheffortsshouldcontinueastheyprovidea

    venueforairingconcernsandjointlyaddressingamoresystematicresearchand

    implementationagenda.Guidedbysubstantialevidencefromresearcher-practitioner

    partnerships,weunderscoretheimportanceoflong-term,mutuallybeneficial

    collaborationsthatbridgethegapbetweenresearch,policyandpractice.Therewasa

    distinctsenseamongsomeoftheparticipants,includinganumberofpractitioners,thattoo

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    27

    muchtimewasspenton“whitehegemony”and/ornotenoughtimewasspentonanumber

    ofpracticalissuesinvolvedinbuildingequitableprograms:howtoimplementthe

    programsinawaythat“doesn’toverplayourhandandresultinlosingsupporters.”Butthe

    organizersareinagreementthatthismustbeaprocess,startingwithsettingthetableand

    acknowledgingthedebatesthatexist.

    Movingforward,weareconfidentthattheforuminitiatedanimportantstepinthe

    processofaddressingequityissuesinDLI.Toooftenthereisadisconnectbetween

    academicresearchersandpractitioners.AsDLIcontinuestoexpanditwillbechallengedby

    anumberofcriticalequityissuesanditisimportantthatthesebevettedinaproductive

    andopenenvironment.Consequently,itisourbeliefthatnextstepsmustfollowfromthis

    forum:

    1. Thereisaneedforacensusonhowmany,ofwhatkind,andwherethese

    programsexist.Thereispresentlynosuchinformationavailable,makingit

    difficulttoknowtheirvariationortheirimpact.

    2. TeacherDevelopment.Perhapsthemostseriousthreattothelong-term

    viabilityofDLIisteacherrecruitment,preparationandprofessional

    development.UniversityteacherprogramsmustworkmorecloselywithDLI

    programstoidentifyapproachestoteacherpreparationthatmitigatesomeof

    theissuesinherentinteachingaculturally,racially,andlinguisticallydiverse

    classroom.

    3. Giventhehugedemandfortheseprogramsacrossthecountryitwouldbevery

    usefultocreateanetworkthatcanbeaclearinghouseofinformationontopicsof

    equityinDLIthatcanbeeasilyaccessedasprogramsareunderdevelopment.

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    28

    4. EqualAccesstoPrograms.DLIprogramsstruggletobalancethedemandsfrom

    advantagedanddisadvantagedparentsforaccesstoprograms.Bestpractices

    needtobedevelopedtoensurethatprogramsremainbalancedandthataccess

    byminoritizedstudentsisprotected.

    5. SchoolandSchoolDistrictIntegration.Thedecisionmadebyaschooldistrictto

    developandimplementTWDLIprogramsrepresentsaconsciousintentto

    addressinclusiveness.WhereTWDLIprogramsaredeveloped,wheretheyare

    placedandhowtheyarestructuredhasamajorimpactonschool,districtand

    neighborhooddemographics.DLIremainsapowerfultooltohelpreversea

    serioustrendtowardsegregationofournation’spublicschools,primarilyamong

    LatinxbutalsoAfrica-Americanchildren.Muchtoolittleisknownabouthow

    DLIcanandhasimpacteddemographicsandhowitcanbeeffectivelyappliedto

    createmoreinclusiveanddiverseschools.

  • UCLACivilRightsProject/ProyectoDerechosCiviles,August16,2019www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu

    29

    References

    Cohen,E.G.&Lotan,R.(2004)EquityinHeterogeneousClassrooms,inBanksand

    Banks(Eds.),HandbookforMulticulturalEducation,SecondEdition,Jossey-Bass.Pp.736-

    750.

    Faltis,C.&Valdés,G.(2016).Preparingteacherstoteachinandadvocatefor

    linguisticallydiverseclassrooms:Avademecumforteachereducators.InD.H.Gitomer&

    C.A.Bell(Eds.),Handbookofresearchonteaching(5thed.,pp.549–592).Washington,DC:

    AmericanEducationalResearchAssociation.

    Menken,K.,&Antuñez,B.(2001).Anoverviewofthepreparationandcertificationof

    teachersworkingwithlimitedEnglishproficient(LEP)students.Washing,D.C.:National

    ClearinghouseforBilingualEducation


Top Related