Chapter 4: California'S Implementation Of Proposition 227: Focus on Teacher Education

When Proposition 227, legislation that called for students to be taught “overwhelmingly in English,” passed in June 1998, it immediately impacted the instructional contexts for English learners (ELs) in California public schools. Prior to its implementation, approximately 30% of ELs received bilingual services, including primary language instruction in bilingual programs throughout the state; immediately afterward that number dropped to about 14% (García & Curry-Rodriguez, 2000). While Proposition 227 did not directly impact teacher credentialing regulations in California, this chapter links the change in instructional contexts triggered by its implementation to the “(mis)preparation” of teachers to work in today’s increasingly diverse classrooms and the subsequent underachievement of ELs in those classrooms (Balderrama, 2001; Samson & Collins, 2012).