School Board OKs Revised Plan on Bilingual Education

A revised plan to guide the education of bilingual students, who make up nearly half of Los Angeles Unified School District’s 650,000 pupils, was approved Monday by the school board.

The first revision of the plan since its 1988 creation had become controversial in recent weeks after parents learned that it had not been translated into Spanish or any other language.

That translation was completed less than a week ago, leading the board to approve in concept the Master Plan for English Learners, but promised that it could be amended based on community concerns.

In an effort to increase the speed with which students transfer from the bilingual programs into mainstream classes, the plan includes providing bonuses to schools based on the number of students who successfully pass the transition tests, using about $2.5 million of the district’s state bilingual funds. Students in the district typically spend five to seven years learning in their native language for at least part of their school day.

The plan also includes, for the first time, speakers of nonstandard English--including those who speak what is commonly known as black English.