ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews an unpublished work in progress by Rossell and Baker that summarizes the major studies on the effectiveness of bilingual education and analyzes those studies that are methodologically acceptable. The authors found 72 methodically acceptable studies, that is, studies that show the effect of transitional bilingual education on English language learning, reading, and mathematics, compared to: first, "submersion" or doing nothing; second, English as a Second Language; third, structured immersion in English, and finally, maintenance bilingual education. The writers propose two hypotheses for consideration: that bilingual education may be preferable to English immersion because it will give LEP students some time to be learning in their native language until the English becomes "comprehensible" and their time-on-task will be effective time-on-task. Considering that teachers' unions, lead by the National Education Association, have routinely paid lip service to bilingual education, the California Teachers Association (CTA) stance amounts to a declaration of independence from doctrinaire positions.
