Sixth International Conference on Immersion and Dual Language Education: Connecting Research and Practice Across Contexts

Paper/Best Practice Session (1 hour)

Spanish and English

Two-Way Bilingual Immersion

Elementary (K-5)

This session will highlight the design, implementation and assessment of a growing dual language program. This program began with a shared vision of dedicated educators, including teachers and administrators. This session is both for those starting a program and those reflecting on best practice for continuous improvement of their program.

This session will focus on the development of a 50/50 two way dual immersion program (Spanish/English) within a K-4 elementary school. The program currently includes kindergarten through second grade, with third grade being planned for fall of 2016. This program has been constructed by a group of dedicated educators, including a division coordinator, the principal, the instructional coach, classroom teachers, reading and ESL resource teachers. The presentation will highlight the reflective processes used as we researched, planned,implemented and continuously evaluate our program.

The presentation will begin with a look at the research studied, including how the research of Collier and Thomas and the observations of sustainable Dual Language programs informed the design.The decisions made to establish our non-negotiables and how they have been executed will be highlighted.The discussion will include the obstacles that have been encountered and the solutions we have sought. The reflections and the ongoing evaluation of the program will be shared. This will include what tools are being used to assess student growth in the areas of language production, biliteracy, mathematics and cultural awareness. The presentation will show how the results have driven instruction and led to new questions.

Through sharing both our successes and challenges transparently,we hope attendees will feel encouraged to ask questions about our process and share their strategies for developing a dual language program.