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

Discussion Session (1 hour)

Spanish and Vietnamese

Two-Way Bilingual Immersion

Elementary (K-5)
Middle School/Junior High
High School

A DL program is launched with strong local support - nine years later, how does it continue to grow and lead for equitable educational outcomes?  Participants will engage with leaders from Highline Public Schools (Seattle, WA) about system-wide commitment to biliteracy, and and tackling challenges of expanding programs.

In 2008 Highline Public Schools, an urban district of 20,000 in Seattle, WA, opened its first Dual Language program.  Since then, three additional elementary schools have joined along with a middle school.  A Vietnamese program was added, and three of the elementary programs converted to school-wide models.  Along the way, Common Core standards reshaped the instructional landscape.  At the same time, the school board adopted a strategic plan goal and then school board policy that all students will graduate bilingual and biliterate.  Washington state, like others, adopted the Seal of Biliteracy giving further credibility to the goal of bilingualism and biliteracy.  Partnerships were formed with universities, including a major grant award for a para-to-teacher pipeline.  System level leaders engage in rigorous action research to deepen understanding and practice.

 

In this context, a number of questions continue to vex Highline's leaders.  How are assessments balanced across languages?  How do we ensure all students' languages are fully valued when only a few are reflected in instruction?  How do we maintain and strengthen student and parent interest and commitment to language learning?  How do we leverage a school-wide model to create a learning environment that fully embraces multilingualism?  How do we keep up with ongoing changes in system-wide instructional guidance that don't easily align with the Dual Language model?  How do we support and develop teachers in embracing translanguaging practices?  How do we develop future teachers, administrators and advocates for multilingual education?

A team of leaders from Highline will share current challenges and responses to them.  Participants will be invited to engage in discussion, and together explore answers to support each other in program implementation.