A Critical Look at the Expansion of High School Dual-Language Bilingual Education in Illinois

• In Event: "Hasta La Raíz": Rooting Justice-Centered Dual Language Bilingual Education in Illinois

Abstract

As school districts across the country consider expanding their elementary dual language programs into high school, the dearth of secondary dual language research and guidance in program implementation presents challenges for this long-term investment (Carzoli, 2018). Currently, the Center for Applied Linguistics Two-Way Immersion (TWI) Program Directory lists 69 middle school and 15 high school programs in the United States, most of which are in the Southwest. Illinois ranks third in the country, behind California and New York, in its total number of dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs. Illinois has 48 DLBE programs and has seen an expansion of DLBE programs, primarily in middle-class suburbs (Illinois Resource Center, 2012). However, only five school districts in Illinois report having a dual-language high school.
Only one study, to date, employs a critical race lens to delve into questions of program equity in secondary DLBE programs (Chávez-Moreno, 2021). In this paper, I draw on the Critical Race Theory (CRT) tenet of interest convergence (Bell, 1980) to unpack equity issues behind Illinois school district decisions to expand DLBE programs beyond the primary level. Interest convergence posits that racial equality only gains ground when the interests of minorities converge with the interests of powerful Whites. Morales and Marvailla (2019) argue that interest convergence provides more students access to DL programs. Through this theoretical lens, I examine whether or not the expansion of DLBE programs to high schools in Illinois is determined by prioritizing the interests of one group over another. To do this, I analyze and critique the geospatial and demographic correlation between high school DLBE programs in Illinois and the student populations they serve.
This paper uses Illinois census data and school website information of Illinois districts with DLBE high schools. My experiential knowledge as a former high school DLBE program coordinator also informs this study. Findings demonstrate a correlation between DLBE program geographic location and student demographics. Although the high school DLBE programs located within the city of Chicago serve a more significant percentage of Latinx students, the high school DLBE programs in the suburbs are located in predominantly White areas. Only some suburban DLBE high schools have a slightly higher or equal representation of minority students than White students. Lastly, preliminary data shows that fewer language minority 12th-grade students in Illinois earn a Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation than language majority students.
I call attention to the need for continued secondary DLBE program expansion in Illinois, with particular attention paid to predominantly Latinx communities. As DLBE programs continue to expand to meet the needs of a growing linguistically and culturally diverse student population, I urge school district leaders, educators, and community members in Illinois to look toward the future of bilingual education and advocate for the longevity of DLBE.

Author

• Massiel Zaragoza, University of Illinois at Chicago