Proposition 227 (California), Impact of

On June 2,1998, California voted in favor of Proposition 227 (now codified as California Education Code §§300–340) by a 61% to 39% margin. This law requires that all public school instruction in the state be conducted in English, thereby dismantling California's previous system that allowed English language learners (ELLs) to be instructed in their native language while they gradually learned English. Proposition 227 requires that ELLs be taught “overwhelmingly in English” through sheltered/structured English immersion (SEI) programs, during “a temporary transition period not normally intended to exceed one year,” then be transferred into mainstream English classrooms.

A 2006 report entitled Effects of the Implementation of Proposition 227 on the Education of English Learners, K-12: Findings From a Five-Year Evaluation, authored by Tom Parrish, María Pérez, Amy Merickel, and Robert Linquanti, examines the effects of the implementation of Proposition 227 and provides a portrait of California's ELL population. According to this report, California has significantly more ELLs than any other state. Nearly one-third of the nation's 5 million ELLs are in California, and Proposition 227 was introduced following a 10-year period in which ELLs had grown from less than 15% to approximately 25% of the state's K-12 population. Spanish is by far the most common primary language, accounting for 85% of the California ELL population. Therefore, the challenge of serving ELLs effectively is an ever-present challenge in the state.

A number of studies have examined the impact of Proposition 227 in California. The largest of these studies, the one mentioned above, for example, was carried out collaboratively by WestEd and American Institutes for Research. It was submitted to the California Department of Education, which published the report in January 2006. This report's findings serve as the basis for this discussion on the impact of Proposition 227. An important consideration to note when discussing the impact of one particular policy is that Proposition 227 was being implemented at the same time as several other important policy initiatives that directly affect ELLs and the programs in which they participate. During the initial implementation of Proposition 227, educators identified California's class size reduction, the state's new English language development (ELD) standards, and California's emerging accountability standards as the policies that most affected the education of ELLs. More recently, educators refer to federal and state accountability systems as most directly affecting the educational practices impacting ELLs in California.

According to the report, subsequent to the passage of Proposition 227, the proportion of ELLs receiving primary-language instruction with ELD (also known as bilingual instruction) dropped significantly (from 30% to 8%), and the proportion who are instructed using specially designed academic instruction in English increased. Although significant gaps in academic achievement among students in California remain, there is some evidence of improved academic success with ELLs. Numerous issues make it difficult to ascertain what attributes to the gains in test scores and how those gains can be interpreted. The overall research that has thus far been conducted in California cannot definitively point to one model of instruction as being [Page 697]relatively superior for instructing ELLs. However, the research does seem to conclude that rather than focusing on specific models in an attempt to find one that meets the criteria of “one size fits all,” California would do better to focus on the specific factors that appear to make a difference for ELLs in diverse contexts. Eugene Garcia and Julia Curry-Rodriguez report that the basic premises underlying Proposition 227 were flawed; however, at least some effects can be seen as positive. The passage and implementation of Proposition 227 has led to a focus on the ELL population as an important subgroup within our schools. The methods of instruction for this population are being reevaluated, and mandates for English ELD standards, an annual ELD assessment, and supplementary ELL services have come about in part due to Proposition 227. One of the negative effects, as reported by Kris Gutiérrez, Patricia Baquedano-López, and Jolynn Asato, has been a move toward a more scripted curriculum, allowing less flexibility, for example, in how reading is being taught to English learners.

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