Spanish Dual Language

Program Values

• (Spanish Instruction) We value an evidence-based experience that is asset driven, incorporates authentic materials, and focuses on building foundational skills in Spanish.(English Instruction) We value explicit instruction in phonics, vocabulary, and grammar in order to emphasize strong language development in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

• (Most Valuable Attribute) We value our passionate, driven, highly-qualified staff who have access to an abundance of resources to support equitable education in both languages.

• (Parent Engagement) We value and uplift the unique stories, experiences, and perspectives that our families bring to classrooms. 
• (Parent Engagement) We value our caretakers as both partners and collaborators in each student’s education.
• (Culture) We value cultivating and encouraging students to appreciate, respect, and learn from cultures beyond their own. This helps to grow our students into compassionate, open-minded citizens. 
• (Language and Content) We value a dual language program that intentionally promotes and instructs language-acquisition progression in both English and Spanish. This progression leverages a culturally sustaining pedagogy that fosters a healthy sense of identity, empowers critical thinking, and is purposeful for all students

Selection Process

• Spanish dominant students will be selected for the program through a Spanish Dominant Lottery.
• To determine which English dominant students are selected for the program, there will be two lotteries.
• Students from the host school will be selected through a Host School Lottery. 
• Host school students who are not selected will NOT be entered into the other lottery.  Instead, they will be placed on a Host School Waiting List based on the order in which their names were drawn in the Host School Lottery.
• District-wide students (who are not from the host school) will be entered into a District-Wide Lottery.
• District-wide students who are not selected will be placed on a District-Wide Waiting List based on the order in which their names were drawn in the District-Wide Lottery.
• An effort will be made to maintain a balance in the program as described under “Demographic Makeup”.  In the event of vacancies in the program (up to Kindergarten for English dominant students and up to Grade 2 for Spanish dominant students), students from either the Spanish Dominant Waiting List, the Host School Waiting List or the District-Wide Waiting List will be invited in order based on their position on the applicable list.

Preferences 

Within each of the lotteries, preference is given based on the following:

• Students who have siblings in the program are weighted 3 times.
• If one twin (or other multiple) is selected, the other(s) is automatically accepted into the program.
• English dominant students in schools without a language program (Hough and Sunny Hill) are weighted 2 times since those schools will not be a part of the rotation.

Who Should Participate

• Families who embrace academic challenge.

• Families who are willing to commit to the Dual Language Program through Grade 5.

• Families who are willing to attend a school other than their neighborhood school.

• Parents who are interested in learning along with their children. 

• Your child must be registered at the District to participate in the Lottery.
   

Program Entry

Students may enter through the kindergarten cohort. Spanish speakers may enter beyond kindergarten if they possess the skills needed and space allows. A student who moves into the district and was previously enrolled in an equivalent program will be allowed to enter the program if there is space.