Bilingual Education and Public Policy

Education reform has been one of the hottest political topics in the United States over the past several years. Within this controversy, one of the most highly debated subjects is the selection of appropriate and effective programs to educate the student population that does not speak English as their first language. As the immigrant population continues to increase every year and politicians crack down on school accountability, the importance of effectively implemented programs has never been more crucial. This paper examines the politics, policy and efficacy behind Bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in Providence RI, using the Lima Elementary School as a case study.