Comparing Structured English Immersion and Bilingual Education: First-Year Results of a National Study

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Education commissioned a study to determine the relative effectiveness of programs for limited English proficient students wherein English is the only language of instruction and those in which both English and the child's primary language are used for instruction. This article describes the instructional differences observed in the first of a four-year longitudinal study of three such programs, English Immersion Strategy, early-exit, and late-exit transitional bilingual education programs. This process evaluation confirms implementation of each program through documentation of those factors deemed critical to each instructional model. The study concludes that the programs differ radically in the use of English and the child's primary language for instruction and that these language use patterns are consistent with the instructional model for each program. Little or no differences were noted in the teaching behaviors used among the three programs. These and subsequent process data w...