Implementing policies relies on their design, the will and capacity of implementors, the organizations within which implementation occurs, and individuals’ interpretations. Despite the fact that families’ decisions are critical to the successful implementation of educational programs, however, few studies examine their sense-making processes. Using life course theories, this ethnographic study examines how historical time and place and developmental timing shape immigrants’ choices for bilingual education. Findings demonstrate that the intersections of time and place (the history/structure of organizations, people, policies) and timing (family members’ composition and developmental needs) shape parents’ interactions with schools, understandings of policies, and children’s pathways toward bilingualism. Such findings have implications for theories about the policy process and for districts with growing immigrant student populations.
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