Bilingual education was created with the best of intentions. The purpose was to help Hispanic children become fluent in English, within American schools. The Bilingual Education Act failed to meet its goal.
             In the beginning, children were taught in their native languages, so they would not get behind in other subjects while they were learning English. To speak English fluently enough to join the other children in regular classrooms, educators estimated a three-year period. Instead, this idea went from teaching English to the segregation of non-English-speaking students.
             Hispanic children were considered different from the "majority" of children; therefore, they needed special help in order to accomplish academic success. Another theory, that was widely believed, was that it was better to teach the children English only after mastering their native language, instead of incorporating the knowledge of both languages at the same time. The public realized that these children had the right to some special help because our society depends on a literate and academically capable population.
             Good things that came out of the program were workshops and training sessions promoting knowledge for educators of the different historical and cultural diversities within our communities. Also, parent involvement was encouraged. Despite the efforts to educate parents and improve bilingual program objectives, the dropout rate among Hispanics remained high. These children have failed to gain the ability to speak the English language.
             Most parents feel that it is their responsibility to teach their children their family's history, and they prefer the teaching of English in the classroom. Some of these children were segregated in bilingual programs for more than six years without individual progress reviews. Conflicting with the State Education Law, "These children were not receiving adequate instructio
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