A Synthesis of Studies Examining Long-Term Language Minority Student Data on Academic Achievement

This article provides a research synthesis of studies that have examined language-minority students' academic achievement over a period of four or more years, for a comparison with the longitudinal findings on student academic achievement reported in the Ramrez study. One program variable is the focus of this synthesis -- the use of a minority language for instructional purposes. Some of the limitations to long-term research are discussed, followed by a summary of results from a variety of language-minority studies conducted in the United States on two-way bilingual education, late-exit bilingual education, early-exit bilingual education, and programs with no first language support. Implications for program effectiveness decisions for languageminority students are provided.