We will be adding many links to scholarly articles soon. For now, you can take a look at this meta-study by Wayne Thomas & Virginia Collier (2004), whose title sums up the position of RGV PUEDE: “The Astounding Effectiveness of Dual Language Education for All”
This article, along with subsequent articles by Thomas & Collier and many other researchers, conclusively shows that Dual Language Programs outperform all of the other models of bilingual education for English-learners and simultaneously lead to outstanding outcomes for English-proficient students (i.e., Spanish-learners). Here is the graph based on data from 700,000 students that’s worth a thousand words:
Thomas & Collier evaluated bilingual education and ESL programs in 23 different districts across 15 states. Houston ISD was one of the 23 districts that participated in this study. They collected 2 million pieces of data from students who had entered school in the 1st grade not knowing English and tracked their progress up to the 11th grade. Their logitudinal study was federally funded and supported by the Department of Education. Their results show the tremendous success of English-learners that are in dual language programs through 5th grade. On average, dual language students who enter school not knowing English actually outperform native English speakers by the time they enter middle school. And they know Spanish!
