New research from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) found that bilingual education programs are heavily concentrated in elementary grades, leaving many older multilingual learners without a strong path to building proficiency and mastering grade-level content.
The report, Paving the Way for Secondary Bilingual Education Programs: An Analysis of Policy and Practice, examines barriers keeping bilingual programs from being established in middle and high schools, as well as factors that support successful implementation and sustainability in places where such programs exist.
More than 2.3 million English learners (ELs) are enrolled in U.S. secondary schools. In California, nearly 43 percent of all ELs are in grades 6-12.
Researchers found that, for these students, individualized student pathways, specialized content offerings, graduation and course requirements, master schedules and specific teacher credentialing requirements often complicate efforts to extend successful elementary bilingual education models upward.
“Consequently, many secondary-level multilingual learners (MLs) — including ELs, newcomers, and students who have been in dual language programs since kindergarten — lack access to programs that could help them stay on track in building their language skills while also mastering grade-level content and meeting course requirements for graduation,” the report states. “In states such as California, for example, which has ambitious goals for the number of students achieving proficiency in two or more languages by 2030 and 2040, the current secondary bilingual education system will pose many obstacles to achieving those goals. The pathway forward for secondary bilingual education programs will therefore require system actors to demonstrate persistence and patience. The road ahead will not be easy, but the benefits that bilingual education promises students and their communities make the effort worthwhile.”
Key findings
Findings from the study were drawn from about 30 interviews with bilingual education policy experts, teacher preparation faculty and district leaders in California, Illinois, New Mexico and New York.
Interviewees identified three core components essential to secondary-level program success, which are further detailed in the report. These core factors include:
Policy, capacity and perseverance to create the conditions for successful and sustainable secondary bilingual programs. Without clear, actionable policies to guide program design and accountability mechanisms, as well as dedicated funding streams to ensure effective programs are created and sustained and leaders with expertise in bilingual education policy and program development, local educational agencies are left to navigate program development questions on their own or forgo a program altogether. Researchers called for policymakers to develop district policies and guidance and establish statewide peer learning networks to build leadership capacity.
Effective planning and partnerships can help address declining enrollment in dual language programs during transitions to middle and high school. Strategies offered in the report include outreach to students and families in elementary schools, and working with institutes of higher education, foreign consulates and research institutions to improve programs and support educator recruitment.
Robust pathways and pipelines are critical to addressing some of the most prominent barriers to secondary bilingual education, including shortages of secondary bilingual educators, lack of high-quality instructional materials and constraints on students’ master schedules, according to the report, which stated that “innovative solutions include teacher credentialing programs delivered in the partner language, continued mentorship for teaching candidates, coordinated advocacy efforts to increase the availability of instructional materials designed for secondary bilingual classrooms, and opportunities for assessments in the partner language to count toward program requirements.”
Recommendations
The report calls for coordinated, system-wide action and provides recommendations for policymakers, state education agencies and district leaders, including:
- Investing in and developing stable state and district policies for secondary bilingual programs, including accountability structures, technical assistance and dedicated funding streams that are not tied solely to EL classification.
- Translating policy into practice by reviewing existing policies for hidden barriers, such as rules that unintentionally penalize students for taking content courses in a partner language and publishing clear implementation guidance for districts.
- Addressing the unique challenges and opportunities of secondary schools and integrate bilingual coursework in core subjects to prevent students from having to choose between required bilingual coursework and the electives that interest them.
- Building pipelines for professional development for bilingual program staff, including counselors, administrators, paraprofessionals and community liaisons, not just classroom teachers.
Such efforts will be critical to California meeting its goal to produce more multilingual graduates.
The California English Learner Roadmap, which provides a framework to guide schools and districts in creating inclusive and effective learning environments for ELs, “establishes a vision for EL students that includes opportunities to develop bilingualism and a mission that calls on public schools to prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to navigate a global, multilingual world,” the report states.
Additionally, the Global California 2030 Initiative, launched by the California Department of Education in 2018, builds on the English Learner Roadmap by setting two ambitious goals: the half of all K-12 students will participate in classes, programs or experiences that lead to proficiency in two or more languages by 2030, and that three out of four students will be proficient in two or more languages and earn a State Seal of Biliteracy by 2040.
