Bilingual Education Fact Sheets. Public Education Strategies: Bilingual Education. Nos. 1-14, July-September 1982.

Overview & Synopsis

Fourteen separate bilingual education fact sheets produced during 1982 have been assembled into one document presenting educators with a variety of topics on bilingual education in public education. The first fact sheet advocates bilingual instruction, despite the popular argument that other immigrants of the past did not need bilingual education instruction. A second fact sheet defines bilingual education and its importance to Hispanics. Fact sheet 3 differentiates between the learning abilities of adults and children with respect to high intensity language training (HILT) programs. Two fact sheets express concerns that using the home language in school might discourage learning English and possibly foster separatism in the schools. A discussion of the need for a curriculum that is culturally sensitive is followed by five fact sheets devoted to Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Bilingual Education Act). Particular attention is given to student eligibility for Title VII programs, the use of Title VII funds, and sources of funding for bilingual education programs. One fact sheet presents statistics on the amount of time allotted to non-English usage in schools and the number of bilingual education teachers in public schools. Attempts to dispel the myth that bilingual programs do not teach English, but rather spend all instruction time in the child's native language are also addressed. The final fact sheet addresses the need for scientific research to provide insight into the values, attitudes, and public policy concerning bilingual education. (LH)