Bilingual Education and Alternative Programs for Limited English Proficient Students: A Policy Analysis Focusing on Four School Districts in Colorado

This research project is an exploratory policy analysis which uses Easton's Political Systems Model to examine the effects of a specific state level educational policy change. In 1980, the Colorado legislature repealed the state's Bilingual/Bicultural Education Act which had mandated bilingual instruction in schools having more than 50 students in grades K-3 who were identified as "linguistically different". That statute was replaced with the English Language Proficiency Act (ELPA) which allows districts to serve limited English proficient children in any way they see fit. The author documents how this state-level change paralleled a federal trend in giving more flexibility to state and local authorities by relaxing centralized regulations and standards, especially in regard to equity-oriented issues.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Adcock, David Lee

• Education, Language and Literature
• Education, Administration

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8711764

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/69098