Fund Bilingual Education

The Los Angeles School Board likes the results of an experiment in bilingual education that has improved the test scores of students at Eastman Avenue Elementary School in East Los Angeles. Now it should put money in its budget to give its endorsement some meaning.

At Eastman Avenue School students who have limited ability to speak English take their basic subjects in Spanish. They also get a strong dose of English and take subjects such as art and physical education in English. Students whose English is better than their Spanish take all their courses in English. The program, which has been under way for four years, eliminates the cumbersome and sometimes counterproductive need to translate a lesson into both Spanish and English to make sure a student understands. That way a student doesn’t fall behind and get frustrated. The goal remains the quickest possible mastery of English. When students become proficient in English, which takes about four years, according to Principal Bonnie Rubio, they are transferred into all-English classes.

Each year the students have taken standardized tests in English to measure their skills. Since 1981, when the program began as part of a statewide pilot project, Eastman Avenue third-graders have improved 38 points in reading, 24 in writing, and 23 in math. Sixth-graders have gained 26 points in reading, 39 in writing, and 43 in math. Their scores are also higher than those of students in comparable neighboring schools although still lower than the statewide average.

School board member Larry Gonzalez has proposed expanding the program to eight more schools, some in the Harbor area, in the San Fernando Valley, and in South Central. One school, Castelar in Chinatown, qualifies for bilingual programs in Chinese and would be included. The school board has endorsed the idea and must now add $250,000 to its budget to provide for staff training and to pay a program coordinator and two teacher-advisers who have worked on the Eastman program.

There may be other ways to handle bilingual programs, but the Eastman approach seems to work. On that ground alone the board should set aside the money to expand the program.