DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM

• Dual Language is both an additive bilingual program for Spanish-speaking students and a foreign language immersion program for English-speaking students. In Two-Way classrooms, a combination of native Spanish speakers and native English speakers are taught together in an effort to develop full bilingualism and bi-literacy for both groups of students. At the secondary level (Middle School/High School), students participating in the program typically take two or three classes in Spanish

   

  In order to ensure the expected academic achievement and success, it is necessary to adhere to the following program non-negotiable expectations:  

  • A minimum of 50% to a maximum of 80% of daily instruction in the non-English language
  • In a 50/50 model, both languages of instruction must be distributed equally throughout each day, not alternating days or weeks. Therefore, each language will be allocated in a continuous, uninterrupted block so that 50% of the day is taught in English and 50% is taught in Spanish.
  • Strategic separation of languages on the part of the instructor—no simultaneous translation
  • Kindergarten-fifth grade (At the discretion of the school and the needs of the community, the Dual Language program may be offered at the Pre-K level.)
  • Programmatic, curricular, and instructional decisions based on research on ELLs 

  For elementary students, the district currently offers immersion Dual Language programs in Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, and French.