Learning More than Language: An Examination of Student Achievement in English Immersion and Bilingual Programs

• In Event: 435 - Section on Sociology of Education Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 02. Immigration and Education

Abstract

Although previous research suggests that native language instruction does not interfere with English acquisition and may even benefit English acquisition, there is a lack of consensus over which school-based programmatic approach is most beneficial in terms of academic achievement in both Spanish and English. Using a longitudinal dataset from a large urban school district in Texas, I employed multilevel models to examine Spanish and English reading outcomes among Latino English Language Learners in elementary school. Few studies of language acquisition programs have (1) contextualized English language acquisition programs within sociological segmented assimilation theory; (2) examined the full span of English acquisition programs (English immersion, transitional bilingual, one-way developmental, and two-way bilingual immersion); (3) used longitudinal data; and (4) adjusted for relevant covariates and student clustering within schools, which risks crediting bilingual programs with outcomes that are actually attributable to other factors. This study addresses all of these shortcomings and finds that transitional and two-way dual immersion program students have comparable Spanish- and English-language reading outcomes in elementary school. Transitional students generally outperform one-way students in English reading; one-way students also demonstrate significantly lower Spanish reading growth. Depending on length of program exposure, English immersion students’ English reading performance is on par with or significantly worse than transitional program students, with the exception of immersion students who reach English proficiency by the end of kindergarten.

Author

• Sandra Anna Alvear, Rice University