DOCUMENT RESUME RC 016 497 Oversight Hearing on The
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 289 645 RC 016 497 TITLE Oversight Hearing on the Educational, Literacy and Social Needs of the Hispanic Community. Hearing before the Committee on Education and Labor. House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, First Session (Los Angeles, CA, March 20, 1987). INSTITUTION Congress of the U.S., Washington, D.C. House Committee on Education and Labor. PUB DATE 87 NOTE 189p.; Serial No. 100-14. Some pages contain small print. AVAILABLE FROM Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. PUB TYPE Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC08 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adult Literacy; *Bilingual Education; Citizenship Education; *Dropout Prevention; Educational Change; *Educational Needs; Educational Policy; Elementary Secondary Education; English (Second Language); Hearings; Higher Education; High Risk Students; *Hispanic Americans; Immigrants; Limited English Speaking; *Literacy; Mexican American Education; Policy Formation; Program Descriptions; Program Effectiveness; Socioeconomic Status; Student Characteristics IDENTIFIERS Bilingual Education Act 1984; *California; Congress 100th; English Only Movement; Immigration Impact; Los Angeles Unified School District CA ABSTRACT The House Committee on Education and Labor, with the participation of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, met to !;ear testimony and gather information in order to support congressional efforts aimed at reducing the incidence of Hispanic dropouts and adult illiteracy. Testimony was heard from Richard Fajardo of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Elias Galvan of John Glenn High School (Norwalk, California); Juan Hurtado of the National Origin Desegregation Center at San Diego State University; Reynaldo Macias and Rafael Magallan of the Tomas Rivera Center; Harry Pachon of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials; Hilda Solis, a Trustee for Rio Hondo Community College; and Victoria Verches of the Association of Mexica, American Educators. A great deal of the testimony focused on best educational practices for students with limited English proficiency, and the erperience of Los Angeles and other California schools was used as illustration. Additional topics of discussion included educational and socioeconomic status of Hispanics, dropout rates, educational tracking, number of Hispanic teachers, social and economic consequences of illiteracy, English only lobbying, bilingual education, and the impact of immigration reform on the demand for English as a second language and citizenshi classes. (JHZ) I OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE EDUCATIONAL, LIT- ERACY AND SOCIAL NEEDS OF THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY Lt1 co HEARING BEFORE THE Li .1COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDREDTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION HEARING HELD IN LOS ANGELES, CA, ON MARCH 20, 1987 Serial No. 100-14 Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and Labor U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Once of Ectucshonai Researchand Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER(ERIC/ (7.,This ocument has been reproduced as recved from the person or organqabon gmatmg nor cnanges have been made to improve reproduction qualdy Points of new or options stated m the docu- ment do not necessartty representofficial OERI positionor policy U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICt. 72-768 WASHINGTON : 1987 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR AUGUSTUS F. HAWKINS, California,Chainan WILLIAM D. FORD, Michigan JAMES M JEFFOLDS. Vermont JOSEPH M GAYDOS, Pennsylvania WILLIAM P GOODLING, Pennsylvania WILLIAM (BILL) CLAY. Missouri E THOMAS COLEMAN. Missouri MARIO BIAGGI, New York THOMAS E PETRI, Wisconsin AUSTIN J. MURPHY, Pennsylvania MARGE ROUKEMA, New Jersey DALE E. KILDEE. Michigan STEVE GUNDERSON. Wisconsin PAT WILLIAMS, Montana STEVE BA ;iTLETT, Texas MATTHEW G MARTINEZ, California THOMAS TAUKE, Iowa MAJOR R. OWENS, New York RICHARD K ARMEY. Texas CHARLES A. HAYES, Illinois HARRIS W. FAWELL, Illinois CARL C. PERKINS, Kentucky PAUL. B. HENRY, Michigan THOMAS C. SAWYER, Ohio FRED GRANDY. Iowa STEPHEN J. SOLARZ, New York CASS BALLENGER. North Carolina ROBERT E. WISE, JR., West Virginia TIMOTHY J PENNY, Minnesota BILL RICHARDSON, New Mexico TOMMY F ROBINSON, Arkansas PETER J VISCLOSKY, Indiana CHESTER G. ATKINS, Massachusetts JAMES JONTZ. Indiana 3 CONTENTS Page Hearing held in Los Angeles, CA, on March 20, 1987 1 Statement of: Fajardo, Richard, staff attorney, Mexicon-American Legal Defense and Education Fund [MALDEF] ..... ..... .... ......... ........ 129 Galvan, Elias, principal, John Glenn High School, Norwalk, CA........... 16 Hurtado, Juan, associate director, National Origin Desegregation Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 99 Macias, Reynolds, author, the Tomas Rivera Center, Claremont, CA 43 Maga llan, Rafael, executive director, the Tomas Rivera Center, Clare- mont, CA 38 Pachon, Harry, executive director, National Association of Latino Elected Officials [NALEO] 133 Solis, Hilda, trustee, Rio Hondo College, Whittier, CA. 25 Spiegel-Coleman, Shelly, consultant, Los Angeles County Office of Educa- tion, Association for Bilingual Education.. 5 Verches, Victoria, past president, Association of Mexican-American Edu- cators LAME] 141 Prepared statements, letters, supplemental materials, et cetera: "Effective Bilingual Schools: Implications for Policy and Practice," article entitled 152 Galvan, Elias, principal, John Glenn High School, prepared statement of 21 Hurtaclo, Juan, associate director, National Origin Desegregation Center, San Diego State University, prepared statement of.......... ............... 107 Maga llan, Rafael, executive director, The Tomas Rivera Center, prepared statement on behalf of 49 Martinez, Hon. Matthew G., a Representative in Congress from the State of California, prepared statement of 2 Pachon, Dr. Harry, executive director, National Association of Latino Lected Officials MALE% prepared statement of 136 Solis, Hilda, trustee, Rio Hondo College, Whittier, CA, prepared state- ment of 28 Spiegel-Coleman, Shelly, Los Angeles County Office of Education, pre- pared statement, with attachment 9 Torres, Hon Esteban E., a Representative in Congress from the State of California, prepared statement of.......... 4 Verches, Victoria, past president, Association of Mexican-American Educ- tors [AME], prepared statement of . 145 '1 I OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE EDUCATIONAL, LITERACY AND SOCIAL NEEDS OF THE HIS- PANIC COMMUNITY FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1987 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR, Los Angeles, CA. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:23 a.m., in room 350, Public Works Building, City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, Los Ange- les, CA, Hon. Augustus F. Hawkins, Chairman, presiding. Members present:Representatives Hawkins,Martinez. and Torres. Staff present: Ricardo Martinez, Mauro Morales, Pat Benson, Lupe de la Cruz, Leticia Hernandez, Jeff Fox, Tod Bullen, Martha Lopez, and Alma Candalaria. The CHAIRMAN. The hearing will now come to order. The hearing is _Jintly being conducted by the Education Labor Committee with the participation of the Hispanic Caucus. The Chair would like to make a brief statement. During the 100th Congress, most of the major federal, elementary and secondary education programs are scheduled for reauthoriLa- tion. Among those programs are chapter 1, bilingual and adult edu- cation. In addition, the committee is deeply concerned with the very high drop out rate which continues to undermine the econom- ic future of our students. The Speaker of the House, Mr. Jim Wright, has put the Adminis- tration also on notice that our country cannot be competitive with- out a system of education which assures that all of our nation's children receive an equal educational opportunity. Today, we have a very impressive list of witnesses, and we are eager to hear their perspectives on these issues. Before doing that, however, let me first of all recognize two of our distinguished col- leagues who are present here today. First, because he is one of the active members of the Education and Labor Committee, I would like to call on Congressman Marti- nez for a statement that he may care to make at this time. Mr. Martinez. Mr. MARTINEZ. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I am glad that you have asked for this hearing here today, and I am g'ad to be participating in it. This hearing today I hope will focus a little bit on bilingual education. (1) 5 2 I think this is one of the most important issues for our country as well as the 100th Congress today. 1 don't think it is any more important anywhere than here in the State of California, because there is over half a million limited English proficient students in California, two out of every five Hispanic and American Indians drop out of school. These are the same minority peoples being forced onto welfare roles because of lack of education. And this language barrier is not only affecting our students but older citizens as well. As the Los Angeles Time: reported last year, 40,000 applicants for adult Eng- lish classes would be turned away in the Los Angeles Unified School District alone because classes were already full. The goals of the bilingual education program are some of the most important issues facing us today. Learning English is one goal of the program, but building the knowledge needed for effective citizenship and for tomorrow's jobs is probably the most important. A child who is not proficient in English is