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Fewer Vista students are in bilingual programs


Elementary schools see sharpest decline
By Matthew Rodriguez
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 16, 2006

VISTA – The number of students in bilingual programs in the Vista Unified School District has dropped in the past two years, particularly at elementary schools, according to district data.

But some Vista school board members say the number should drop further, and they say bilingual programs leave Spanish speakers behind academically.

The school board discussed the issue Thursday night, and board member Jim Gibson, who wants bilingual programs eliminated, said yesterday he plans to bring the issue back before the board.

According to district data, the number of elementary school students in bilingual programs has dropped from about 3,000 two years ago to 45 this school year.

The number of middle and high school students in the programs has decreased from 340 to 254 during the same period.

The district has moved toward a “structured English immersion” program as an alternative to a bilingual program in which students are taught English-language development daily, but learn subjects such as math, science and social studies in Spanish.

By contrast, the English-immersion program includes mostly English at the elementary school level, with 80 percent English instruction by the third year, according to the district.

The number of students in the English-immersion programs has gone up as the number in the bilingual programs has trailed off. District data say 74 elementary school students were in the English immersion programs two years ago. Now there are more than 3,000.

In 1998, California voters approved Proposition 227, which sought to end bilingual education statewide. Subsequently, the Oceanside Unified School District slashed its bilingual-education programs.

In Vista, parents have to apply for their children to participate in bilingual programs. Monica Nava, English-language development coordinator for the district, said principals then approve or deny waiver requests.

Nava said yesterday that the bilingual programs are only offered in Spanish, as about 96 percent of the district's English learners speak Spanish as their first language.

Nava attributes the drop in bilingual program enrollment to two factors: Parents are requesting it less based on academic information, and principals are approving fewer waivers, at the request of the school board.

Gibson said in an interview yesterday that the district should go further to eliminate the bilingual program.

“I cannot get a third vote to enforce our policy,” he said, adding that he has pushed for principals who back the bilingual programs to be removed.

In a phone interview yesterday, board member Stephen Guffanti agreed, saying board members should talk to principals about the issue. “They need to be aware of their own data,” he said.

Board President Carol Herrera said the board has made English immersion its goal. However, she said some middle and high school students who are new to the country could benefit from a “bridge” program to English immersion.

“In order to make that content meaningful, they need to show the relationship of one language to another,” she said.

Nava said the decrease in students enrolled in bilingual programs has been slower between sixth and 12th grades because many of the English learners have arrived in the district from other countries.

She said federal guidelines require districts to teach English but also to provide instruction of grade-level concepts in subjects such as math and science. In Vista Unified's bilingual programs, those subjects are taught in Spanish.

Board member Steve Lilly said yesterday that he would like more information about bilingual programs in middle and high schools before deciding further on them.

Lilly said yesterday that the district should fully implement the English-immersion program in elementary schools. But he said the district can't cut instruction of history, math and science in middle and high schools while focusing on teaching students English only. He said he would like to find out what other districts are doing.

“We have to teach content to students at the middle and high school level,” Lilly said. “I just need more information there.”


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Matthew Rodriguez: (760) 476-8239; matthew.rodriguez@uniontrib.com