U-46 board to hear about Dual Language program expansion tonight

Saul Diaz, a fifth-grader in the Dual Language Ignite program at Ronald D. O'Neal Elementary School, started his education as an English Language Learner in Elgin Area School District U-46's renowned 80:20 Dual Language Program and is well on his way to becoming fully biliterate and bilingual, which his father, also named Saul Diaz, hopes will help him find a good job and career success.

"The more languages that you know," Mr. Diaz said. "The better off you are and the more options you have."

U-46 administrators Monday night will present their plan to expand the district's dual language programming to the middle school level in 2016-17, continuing a virtually unmatched rollout of Spanish/English instruction that has earned the district attention from dual language experts and districts across the country.

The presentation will take place after 7 p.m. during the board meeting Monday, Feb. 1 at the Educational Services Center, 355 E. Chicago St. in Elgin.

Abbott, Ellis, Kimball, Larsen, and Tefft middle schools are slated to implement an extension of the 80:20 Dual Language Program during the 2016-17 school year.

The numbers - "80:20" - refer to the fact that in U-46, the youngest students start out with 80 percent of their instruction in Spanish and 20 percent in English, reducing the Spanish-language portion by 10 percent per year from kindergarten through third grade, until the split is 50-50, where it remains through sixth grade.

Already the dual language program has given hundreds of students the opportunity to learn a second language without losing their first. These students are expected to perform in both languages in the long-term as well or better than their peers on a range of metrics, including overall academic achievement, problem-solving ability, self-esteem, cross-cultural understanding and standardized testing.

Research over the last 15 years has convinced educators and parents of the value of dual language education, prompting an increasing number of schools to embrace the model, where English Language Learners continue learning their first language as they acquire their second.

More parents see the value in raising their children bilingually, even if they speak only one language at home. Interest in the two-way dual language program at U-46 has continued to grow, and across both program types, 8,382 students in 33 schools are getting their instruction in both English and Spanish.

The district implemented dual language programs in pre-K through second grade at 29 elementary schools during the 2011-12 school year. Since then, the program has expanded, grade by grade, along with students.

In 2015-16, students whose home language is Spanish and qualify for ELL services accessed dual language instruction in pre-K through sixth grade. Native English speakers and English-dominant students also participated in the dual language program as an enrichment opportunity in kindergarten through fifth grade in what is known as "two-way" dual language. These classrooms are made up of both Spanish- and English-dominant students, giving children the opportunity to learn each other's languages and cultures as they continue developing their speaking and literacy skills.

"Dual language instruction is the only program proven to close the achievement gap between English Language Learners and their peers, and it offers English-dominant students a head start on bilingualism, preparing all students for an increasingly global world," said Dr. Annette Acevedo, director of the U-46 English Language Learners Program. "We are excited to continue expanding this program and develop new opportunities for middle school students to continue such rigorous academic and language learning, which capitalizes on students' cultural and linguistic strengths."

While the majority of dual language programs in the U.S. pair Spanish and English instruction, there are students learning Mandarin, Japanese, French, Arabic, Hawaiian and Korean in dual language programs throughout the country.

Acquisition of a second language is directly related to a student's proficiency in his or her first language, and programs that embrace a student's existing language skills rather than seeing them as a deficit achieve positive results in study after study.

Erin, 9, and Brigid Zhu, 7, grew up speaking English and both spent a few years learning Mandarin, but the alternate language they more often speak these days is Spanish.

The sisters are active participants of the dual language program. Erin is a fourth-grader in the gifted dual language IGNITE program at Ronald D. O'Neal Elementary School, who started in the 80:20 Dual Language Program at Channing. Her sister Brigid is in dual language second grade at McKinley Elementary. Both girls are thriving says their mom, Maureen Kehoe.

"This is an opportunity to challenge my kids," said Ms. Kehoe. "It is such a great value that you can have them learning another language in school without going outside of the district."

Dual Language Education of New Mexico (DLeNM) has provided guidance, including professional development, since U-46 started planning its shift to Dual Language. Now David Rogers, DLeNM executive director, says U-46 is considered one of the best examples of such a program in the country.

Rogers credits U-46's original sense of urgency to improve services for English Language Learners, who have been historically underserved in the United States. From there, the district has expanded access to two-way programs methodically, based on where there was demonstrated leadership and family interest. That's the strategy Rogers advocates with districts across the country.

"U-46 is the model to follow for districts who are wanting to start a districtwide dual language initiative," Rogers said. "In my opinion, they did everything right."

Dual Language by the numbers in U-46

Number of students in all Dual Language Programs: 8,382

Number of English-dominant students in DL: 626

Number of Dual Language classes: 417

Number of schools with Dual Language programs: 33