The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

This short volume summarizes portions of a much longer report entitled Improving Schooling for Language-Minority Children: A Research Agenda, published in 1997. The longer report was the work of the Committee on Developing a Research Agenda on the Education of Limited-English-Proficient and Bilingual Students, established under the auspices of the Board on Children, Youth, and Families of the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (CBASSE) of the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Eleven experts—representing the areas of language, cognitive, and child development; bilingual and multicultural education; education evaluation; assessment; and educational history—reviewed and discussed existing research relevant to the education of English-language learners and bilingual students and made recommendations for the next generation of research. In addition to the substantive areas, the committee investigated issues surrounding the infrastructure for research in this field and made recommendations for its improvement.

Whereas the first report makes recommendations for the next generation of research and improvements in the research infrastructure, this report was written for educators and policymakers. As such, it summarizes information in the first report that is likely to be of most interest to this audience—research findings on bilingualism and second-language learning, the cognitive aspects of school learning, the social context of school learning, student assessment, program evaluation, and school and

classroom effectiveness. In addition, it considers the implications for educational practice of these disparate domains of research.

The committee wishes to acknowledge the support of the National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students, the Office for Educational Research and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York (through a grant to Stanford University) for the preparation of this summary report. Support for preparation of the full report on which this summary is based was provided by several offices within the U.S. Department of Education—the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs, the Office of the Under Secretary, and the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Funding was also provided by the Spencer Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (through a grant to Stanford University).

Several commissioned papers contributed to this report. We thank Luis Moll, Rosi Andrade, and Norma Gonzalez for "Rethinking Culture, Community and Schooling: Implications for the Education of Bilingual Students"; Patton Tabors for "Second Language Acquisition and Preschool Education: Research Findings, Methods, Implications, and Future Directions"; Claude Goldenberg for "Effective Schooling for LEP Students: The School Domain"; and Nitza Hidalgo for "Parental and Community Involvement in the Education of Limited English Proficient and Bilingual Students."

The committee benefited from the support of staff from the Division of Social Sciences: Faith Mitchell provided ongoing advice and encouragement; Janine Bilyeu and Carole Spalding provided administrative assistance; and Rona Briere, as editor, contributed to the presentation of the committee's views.