Equity in Representing Literacy Growth in Dual Language Bilingual Education for Emerging Bilingual Students

Abstract

The promise of access to key 21st‐century skills (i.e., bilingualism, biliteracy, and global awareness) has resulted in the rapid gain in popularity of dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs in the United States over the past two decades. Despite their integrative and additive nature, concerns have been raised about lack of equity in their implementation (Cervantes‐Soon, 2014; Palmer, 2010; Valdés, 1997, 2018). In this article, the authors argue that the fact that DLBE research almost exclusively focuses on English outcomes contributes to inequity. In order to represent the full achievements of emerging bilingual students, the authors designed a longitudinal study to examine the biliteracy growth rates of third‐grade students enrolled in all of the DLBE programs that had longitudinal achievement data in the two program languages in one state in the United States. The data were disaggregated by students who were currently, or had at one point been, classified as an English learner (ever ELs) and those who had never been classified as ELs including those with English as their home language (never ELs). Results of the three‐level linear growth model estimated on participants’ reading scale scores show that, although both groups made progress in reading achievement in both languages over time, never ELs exhibited faster growth rates in Spanish than ever ELs but their growth rates in English were similar. Considering outcomes in the two program languages not only provides a better understanding of emerging bilingual students’ full biliteracy potential, but underscores the value of their language background.