FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Monica Taher
Helen Sanchez
Angela Fernandez
(310) 552-6922

JOHNNY STILL CAN’T READ
Stanford 9 Scores Reveal Achievement Gap Continues to Widen, Despite the “Promise” of Prop. 227

LOS ANGELES - August 16, 2001 - Newly released Stanford 9 scores demonstrate the failure of Proposition 227, which mandated English immersion programs throughout the state and promised to rapidly propel English learners to the same levels as English proficient students. In fact, since Prop. 227’s passage three years ago, the gap between English proficient students and English learners has widened in some instances.
Mandated by California state law, the purpose of the Stanford 9 test is to monitor the academic achievement of students K-12 compared to a national sample of students tested in the same grade at the same time of the school year. Although test results were released two weeks ago to individual schools, statewide results were published yesterday morning.
“Contrary to expectations, Stanford 9 results seem to indicate that English learners in English immersion classes are falling behind,” said Dr. David Ramirez, executive director, Center for Language Minority Education and Research, California State University Long Beach. The Center analyzes test scores on an annual basis. “In particular, the achievement gap has widened in math, with English learners falling further
behind their English proficient peers across all grade levels,” he continued.
-more-
Proposition 227 a Failure
Page 2-2-2
According to Proposition 227, limited English proficient children were expected to acquire enough English to be able to work in regular classrooms at the same level as native English speakers in a period of time “not intended to exceed one year.”
“Today, about 88% of limited English proficient students are in all English programs, yet there are 976,366 children in California who have been in school for one year or more and who are still considered to be limited English proficient,” said Dr. Stephen Krashen, professor of education, University of Southern California. “Thus, there are nearly a million children who failed to reach reclassification in one year.”
“We view the test results of students enrolled in English-only schools with great alarm and are deeply concerned for their future,” said Maria Quezada, executive director of the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE). “However, we are encouraged by the fact that students enrolled in quality bilingual schools, on average, are learning at a faster rate than English learners in English only schools.”
Both national and international studies indicate that in order for children learning a second language to have success in school they must comprehend what they are learning. If they learn subjects in their primary language while they learn English, they are able to maintain their academic progress. According to Dr. Ramirez, outcomes from an isolated sample of 63 California schools with well-funded, properly implemented bilingual programs seem to be consistent with national and international data.
“Proponents of Proposition 227 promised to radically improve the progress of English learners within one year,” said Quezada. “That promise was an empty one.
-more-

Proposition 227 a Failure
Page 3-3-3
It’s time to focus our energy on securing opportunities for our children’s academic success and stop shoving them into the political spotlight. CABE will continue to persuade the state to offer quality bilingual education programs to all children.”
CABE is a statewide organization established in 1976 to promote quality bilingual education programs for English proficient students who want to learn a second language and English learners who want to maintain their primary language while mastering English. CABE’s vision is biliteracy and educational equity for all.
###