WASHINGTON, D.C. -- House Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner welcomed a new study by the Lexington Institute on California state tests which revealed that limited English proficient (LEP) students have shown strong gains in English proficiency since California eliminated bilingual education classes in favor of English immersion programs in 1998. According to Stanford 9 test results, LEP students in the second grade have improved their reading scores by 12 percentile points over the past three years while third grade students English results improved by 13 points over the same time period.

The study also showed that 21 percent of second grade LEP students have moved out of the bottom 25 percent of the national average in reading, 18 percent have moved out of the bottom 25 percent of the national average in math, and 17 percent have tested out of the bottom quarter of the national average in English skills.

“The achievement gap between Hispanic students and their peers is unacceptable,” Boehner said. “The reforms outlined in President Bush’s No Child Left Behind education plan promote early English fluency and parental involvement, two key ingredients in helping Hispanic children reach their fullest academic potential.”

“As this study shows, children who are challenged to learn English at an early age respond and excel academically,” Boehner said. “Our job here in Washington is to empower parents and children, especially disadvantaged students who have been left behind. President Bush’s plan will do just that.”

In May, the House passed the President’s No Child Left Behind bill (H.R. 1), which includes reforms aimed at giving every student the opportunity to become fluent in English, by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 384-45. H.R. 1 helps close the achievement gap between Hispanic children and their peers by ensuring that students are proficient in English after three years of attending school. It also requires parents to give consent before a child is placed in any class not taught primarily in English.

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