About Arizona's bilingual law

Denver Rocky Mountain News
Wednesday, October 9, 2002

Proposition 203

• Year passed: 2000

• Approved by: 63%

• What it does: Like Amendment 31 in Colorado, Proposition 203 requires that English learners spend no more than a year in intensive English classes before transitioning to mainstream classrooms.

• Waivers granted allowing children to attend bilingual educationclasses in their native language: 16,500

• English learners in bilingual education:

Before Prop. 203: 34%

After Prop. 203: 11%

• Enrollment of Arizona public schools: 850,000

• English learners: 17.6%

• English learners who are native Spanish speakers: 81%