Chapter 6: The Effectiveness Of Proposition 203 in Arizona: Kellie Rolstad Jeff MacSwan University of Maryland

Arizona voters passed Proposition 203 despite warnings from researchers that its mandated structured English immersion (SEI) program would result in inferior outcomes for the state’s English language learners (ELLs). As predicted by researchers opposing the measure at the time, the program has failed to achieve its basic goal: Children have not learned English at the hypothesized rate, with the risk that they may not keep up academically during a prolonged period of postponed engagement in the regular curriculum.

In this chapter, we review the Arizona state policy context and the large and persuasive body of literature on program effectiveness for ELLs, highlighting the vast disconnect between the two. We then examine the state’s language proficiency data to show that the basic theory underlying Proposition 203, which relates to rate of acquisition of English, is indeed unsubstantiated, an expected result given the advance warning of members by the research community. We conclude that Arizona has vigorously enforced a program known to be less effective for ELLs than well known alternatives used in the state prior to the passage of Proposition 203 and stress the state’s legal vulnerability in the context of its failed educational policy.