Parental Perceptions of Bilingual Education in Northeast Texas: Implications for Administrators

Abstract

The increase of language-minority children in the public schools of northeast Texas has impacted school districts which have traditionally served the educational needs of only the English-speaking. Although Texas law does provide for bilingual and other special language programs, these statutes alone will not ensure the success of such programs. Success will ultimately be determined by the community’s perception of the worth of bilingual education as implemented in each local school district. With this in mind, Anglo, Black, Hispanic, and Vietnamese parents with children enrolled in selected school districts in northeast Texas responded to a questionnaire to determine their perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge about bilingual education. The statistical analysis of the parental responses revealed differences according to ethnicity, where information about bilingual education was obtained, and whether or not the parents had a child enrolled in a bilingual program.