The Federal Mandate for Bilingual Education: Some Implications for Parent and Community Participation

Despite the rhetoric as to its importance, this analysis concludes that there is no federal interest in promoting meaningful, substantive parent-community involvement in bilingual education. The absence of policy, data, theory, specifically worded governing rules and regulations, established models...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author Matute-Bianchi, Maria Eugenia
Format Report
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.05.1979
Subjects
Access to Education
Bilingual Education
Bilingual Education Act 1968
Chicanos
Community Cooperation
Community Involvement
Educational Policy
Equal Education
Federal Aid
Federal Legislation
Government Role
Government School Relationship
Hispanic Americans
Mexican Americans
Multicultural Education
Parent Participation
Parent School Relationship
School Community Relationship
Second Language Programs
Spanish (Second Language)
Spanish Speaking
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Summary:Despite the rhetoric as to its importance, this analysis concludes that there is no federal interest in promoting meaningful, substantive parent-community involvement in bilingual education. The absence of policy, data, theory, specifically worded governing rules and regulations, established models of involvement, training programs, or technical assistance to parent-community councils all support this position. An overview of the original Bilingual Education Act of 1968, dealing specifically with the ambiguity of the legislation, the influences of the War on Poverty and Civil Rights Movement on the concept of equal educational opportunity and bilingual education, the implications of the transition vs. maintenance controversy, and the effect of key court decisions favoring bilingual education as an effective remedy for limited-English-speaking children provide background for understanding the federal position. In addition to the objective factors that comprise a federal position and legislation, i.e., the 1974 Bilingual Education Act, the intricacies of the legislative process and bureaucratic operation must be taken into account. The interface between constituencies such as the federal bureaucracy, the local school professional and the community determines the specific form that any bilingual education program can or will take. (NEC)