Author Archives: Don Soifer
Test scores of California English learners in grades 2-8 show strong improvement in reading, math and language skills
Issue Brief
An examination of California Stanford 9 test results released last week reveals that English learners in grades 2 through 8 have made strong gains in reading, math and language skills for the third straight year since California eliminated [Read More...]
Dubious Accountability: California’s Academic Performance Index
Article published in Investors Business Daily
The critical accountability mechanisms of President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” education plan currently moving into conference negotiations in the Congress hinge upon the expansion of existing statewide systems of accountability. But what happens [Read More...]
The School Scramble
Letter to the Editor of The Washington Post
Michael Fletcher remains unconvinced that private schools can deliver a better education than failing, urban public schools (“Milwaukee Will Vouch for Vouchers”, March 20). But meanwhile in the same issue, a Post [Read More...]
GAO Report Shows Bilingual Pressure
Letter to the Editor of Education Week
To say that a recent General Accounting Office report “vindicates” the federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights from accusations that it aggressively pushes bilingual education programs on school districts is not [Read More...]
Investing in Charter Schools: “Markets on the Edge of Change”
Executive Summary
As the charter school movement continues to grow and mature throughout most of the United States, one important new development has been the increased involvement of for-profit charter school companies. Such companies combine a commitment to improving educational [Read More...]
Prop.203 Already Working
Article Published in The Tribune (Phoenix, AZ)
As Arizona school districts begin to develop strategies for complying with the newly-passed Proposition 203, they would be well served to pay attention to what has worked in California. The new Arizona law [Read More...]
Letting English Learners Down: Federal Bilingual Education Programs in Arizona
Research Study
Federally-funded programs account for one-third of the money Arizona spends on education programs for its 140,000 English learners. Much of that takes the form of Title VII bilingual education grants. This study examines official reports filed with the [Read More...]
Bilingual Ed is a Failure, So Replace It
Article Published in the New York Daily News
As the rest of the country moves away from bilingual education, shouldn’t New York City consider doing the same? Yes, and the sooner the better.
A new city Board of Education study [Read More...]
English Immersion Programs Best
Article Published in The Denver Post
Last week, activists in Denver led by retired University of Colorado professor Dr. Charles King announced that they are launching a ballot initiative to replace bilingual education in Colorado. The initiative is based on [Read More...]
U.S. Senate, Massachusetts Consider Bilingual Ed Reform
Article Published in the School Reform News
Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a recent proposal by State Senator Guy Glodis (D) to essentially eliminate bilingual education programs. Currently, the state’s English learners are taught in bilingual classes in their non-English native [Read More...]