California Test Results Prove Prop 227 Helps Students

Limited English Proficient Students Thrive in English Immersion Environment

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A third of California's Limited English Proficient (LEP) students were able to pass the 2002 California English Language Development Test according to reports released last week. This is triple the number who were able to meet the minimum language standards the previous year.

The results mean that the 275,000 students who scored at the "early advanced" and "advanced" levels on the exam will now have an easier time gaining access to higher level courses which will better prepare them for entry into higher education and, ultimately, better career opportunities.

"Twenty-seven states have already made English their official language and polls show over eighty percent of Americans support similar legislation on a federal level," said Mujica. "Official English is vital in America, where 329 different languages are spoken according to the 2000 Census. With so much diversity, we need something that can spread unity. We are confident that H.R. 997 can accomplish this goal."

The Los Angeles Times reports, "many teachers and school administrators said the gains reflect better teacher training and the switch to English immersion for most immigrant students under Proposition 227." Martha Trevino Powell, principal of Aldama Elementary School in Los Angeles where nearly three-quarters of the students are LEP, echoes this sentiment, saying, "Give us a child and let us teach them in English from Day 1 and we'll have them for life." Prop. 227 was the 1998 ballot initiative that mandated English instruction statewide and put sharp limits on bilingual education.

"These results provide yet another validation of the English immersion method," said Mauro Mujica, Chairman and CEO of U.S. ENGLISH. "The role of the schools should be to provide students with the English language skills necessary to succeed in American society. This is even more important today given that 21.3 million people aged five and above who live in the U.S. speak English 'less than very well.' This includes over 6.2 million Californians."

U.S. ENGLISH was an early supporter of Prop. 227 and has long advocated teaching immigrant children in the common language of their new country. "The more quickly LEP children learn enough English to transfer into mainstream classes, the better off they are," said Mujica. "For too long in California, many LEP students were trapped in programs that taught them too little English."

"Despite the claims of bilingual education proponents, research has proven that English-intensive instruction is more effective than native language instruction in helping LEP students learn English and succeed academically. The recent test results are a testament to this. Hopefully, other states will take a cue from California."

U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S. English, Inc. (www.usenglish.org) now has more than 1.8 million members.