The Effectiveness of Bilingual Education Programs in the United States: A Review of the Empirical Literature.

Abstract

This chapter provides a review of the major studies pertaining to the effectiveness of bilingual education. This review found that the major studies varied in three important ways. Both small-scale and major comprehensive studies vary in terms of their methodological rigor and in the time frame (e.g., short-term vs. long-term outcomes) examined. Moreover, some studies differentiated between the various types of bilingual education programs, while others did not. Given these important differences across investigations, it is not surprising that studies have yielded contradictory findings regarding the effectiveness of bilingual education. When these aforementioned factors are individually or simultaneously considered, however, these studies do yield consistent findings indicating that some types of bilingual education programs are effective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved). (chapter)