Analysis of California's Elementary Dual-Language Programs: Charter Schools and Latina/o/x Students

• In Event: Academic Achievement and Educational Opportunities of Emergent Bilinguals

Abstract

Little is known about the intersection of Dual Language Programs (DLP) and charter schools in California. In a quantitative study utilizing several statewide databases, researchers explored four questions: 1) How many Latina/x/o students attend charter DLP? 2) What are the student body characteristics found in charter vs. neighborhood-based attendance (NBA) DLP? 3) Do Latina/x/o students in charter DLP outperform those in NBA DLP programs? 4) What are the teacher characteristics found in charter vs. NBA DLP? Analysis revealed previously unknown basic demographic information about student and staffing characteristics in DLP, as well as significant differences between charter and non-charter DLP in their proportional enrollments of Latina/x/o, White, and Asian students.

Authors

• Liana Balloffet, University of California - Santa Cruz

• Kip T. Tellez, University of California - Santa Cruz