Dual Language Programs and Closing the Achievement Gap

Introduction

With the abundance of immigrants arriving in the United States daily, it is increasingly important to provide an educational environment that addresses the needs of bilingual students. This is also partly due to the number of students in the U.S. who, though native-born, are fully immersed in a culture where they speak a language other than English more frequently or more proficiently than they speak English. In attempting to close the achievement gap between these students and native English speakers, it is actually beneficial to involve not only English as a second language (ESL) students but also native English speakers — as this approach most effectively accomplishes that goal. Longitudinal evidence from a pair of graphs discussed below supports this assertion.

Understanding the Three Bilingual Education Models

In order to correctly interpret the graph in Figure 1 of "The Astounding Effectiveness of Dual Education for All" by Virginia Collier and Wayne Thomas (p. 7) and to understand its relevance to closing the achievement gap between English language learners and native English speakers, readers must first understand the three categories of educational programs tested. Transitional Bilingual Education strictly involves non-native English speakers. Developmental Bilingual Education involves both native and non-native English speakers but teaches only one language. Two-Way Bilingual Immersion involves both types of students and teaches both Spanish and English.

Evidence from Figure 1: 90/10 Immersion Results

The results indicate that students consistently tested at the highest levels in the immersion class, even while learning two languages. It is important to understand the significance of the fact that all of these classes follow a 90:10 model. These classes begin by teaching the bulk of material in the non-native language — typically Spanish in the Houston school district where this research was conducted — in the lower grades, before gradually shifting to 50% instruction in English and 50% in the non-native language by fifth grade. It is therefore significant that students at the later grade levels, particularly fifth graders, demonstrated higher test scores. This pattern suggests that sustained immersion, rather than early English-only instruction, supports stronger long-term academic outcomes.

Conclusion

One of the most effective means of closing the achievement gap between native English speakers and non-native speakers is to implement two-way immersion classes. The principal distinction between a two-way class and a one-way class is that the former allows native English speakers to enroll. This creates a classroom environment in which student expertise in English is present even at the youngest grade levels. These native English-speaking students inevitably support their peers, just as those peers in turn help the native English speakers develop proficiency in a second language such as Spanish. The evidence reviewed here strongly supports dual language program expansion as a practical and effective policy response to the educational needs of linguistically diverse student populations.