Bilingual Education Can Teach English Better

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Contrary to claims made by critics of bilingual education ("Arizona takes page from California lesson book" Sept. 27), rising test scores in California do not demonstrate that dismantling bilingual education is a good idea.

Test scores increased throughout California during the past two years, a phenomenon that typically occurs when new tests are introduced, and there is no evidence linking this increase to dropping bilingual education.

When one considers a larger number of districts and examines the published research, one sees impressive evidence supporting bilingual education. Also, as noted in your article, in Arizona students with limited …