Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this case study was to determine whether high the requirements of Proposition 227 have changed the programs of California high school Newcomer Schools in the areas of teaching strategies, language of instructional materials, language of instruction, student enrollment, teacher certification, and growth of student English acquisition on district assessment instruments. The study sought to discover whether there were program differences in high school Newcomer Schools in 9–12 districts and those in K–12 districts. Methodology. The researcher used a descriptive case study based on data gathered from a survey created for this study. The survey sought information regarding the components of the three research questions relative to Proposition 227. The sample consisted of seven high school Newcomer Schools located in the counties of San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Ventura. The responses of each case were reported, similarities and differences were determined, and the findings were used as the basis for conclusions in response to the research questions. Findings and conclusions. Among the findings were the following. The number of high school Newcomer Schools is small with a variety of programs. Most of the K–12 schools in the study used Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) and primary language instructional strategies prior to Proposition 227 and after its passage. The 9–12 district Newcomer Schools in the study used SEI as the instructional strategy and English for instructional materials and instruction before Proposition 227 and after its passage. The schools in the study using SEI as the instructional strategy and English for instructional materials and instruction reported higher levels of student acquisition of English than most of the schools using SEI and primary language for materials and instruction. Among the conclusions were: (1) Proposition 227 had no significant impact on high school Newcomer Schools. Those cases that used primary language instruction and materials prior to the passage of Proposition 227 and those that used English as the language of instruction prior to the passage of Proposition 227 continue to do so. (2) Those cases using English for instructional materials and for instruction have higher levels of growth in English acquisition than most of those using bilingual strategies and both English and primary language instruction. Among the recommendations: (1) The California Department of Education keep a listing of Newcomer Schools with a common definition of Newcomer School. (2) Further research be done dealing with a longitudinal study on graduation rates of immigrant students beginning high school in Newcomer Schools and those beginning high school in the comprehensive setting.