The goal of a dual language immersion program is for students to attain high academics in both the target and the partner language. Students, who enter the program in Kindergarten, are immersed in common core language arts standards with targeted literacy instruction in Spanish for the entire block. By the time students reach fifth grade, they are…

The Texas Education Code (§ 29.051) requires school districts to provide every language minority student with the opportunity to participate in either a bilingual or English as a second language (ESL) program. This is the evaluation report summarizing the performance of students who participated in the district's Dual Language Bilingual Program.…

We describe research results and lessons learned from a laboratory/classroom collaboration with a school system offering both traditional English-only education and a dual-language track (Spanish/English). Through this collaboration, we addressed basic research questions informing malleable factors that impact cognitive development. In a…

The Texas Education Code (§ 29.051) requires school districts to provide every language minority student with the opportunity to participate in either a bilingual or English as a second language (ESL) program. This evaluation report summarizes the performance of students who participated in the district's Dual Language Bilingual Program. Included…

The assessment of dual language immersion (DLI) students' proficiency in the partner language plays a key role in program evaluation. This article reports findings from a large-scale study, drawing on cross-sectional assessment data from 73 schools and longitudinal data from 25 schools. Students were tested in the interpretive (listening and…

Texas state law requires that specialized linguistic programs be provided for students who are English language learners (EL). These programs are intended to facilitate ELs' integration into the regular school curriculum and ensure access to equal educational opportunities. This evaluation report summarizing the performance of students who…

This report summarizes highlights from discussions, or "pláticas," held with Austin Independent School District elementary principals about the district's dual language program. Principals provided their opinions about the program and gave suggestions for improvements.

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) currently offers two bilingual programs and two English as a Second Language (ESL) programs for English language learners (ELs). These programs facilitate ELs' integration into the regular school curriculum and ensure access to equal educational opportunities. Bilingual programs are offered in…

We describe research results and lessons learned from a laboratory/ classroom collaboration with a school system offering both traditional English-only education and a dual-language track (Spanish/English). Through this collaboration, we addressed basic research questions informing malleable factors that impact cognitive development. In a…

Using a mixed methods comparative case study, the researcher explored the dual language contexts at each school before examining the second- through fifth-grade Spanish and English reading biliteracy trajectories. While both campuses' students experienced positive trajectories toward biliteracy by the end of fifth grade, each campus was…

Current literature on dual language programs is focused at the elementary school level, while research at the secondary level remains sparse. Hence, this study addresses the literature gap by considering the impact of school organization and instruction on these programs. Specifically, this collective case study examines the effective features of…

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) currently offers three bilingual programs and two English as a Second Language (ESL) programs for English language learners (ELLs). These programs facilitate ELLs' integration into the regular school curriculum and ensure access to equal educational opportunities. This evaluation report summarizes the…

California's Proposition 227, or the Unz Initiative, had as its main focus the requirement that English learners be taught only in English, based on the belief that these children could learn English in one year. This led to the dismantling of many bilingual programs in K-12 schools across California. A team of faculty from California State…

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) currently offers three bilingual programs and two English as a Second Language (ESL) programs for English language learners (ELLs). These programs are intended to facilitate ELLs' integration into the regular school curriculum and to ensure access to equal educational opportunities. This evaluation…

This report summarizes highlights from December 2015 discussions, or "platicas," held with Austin Independent School District elementary principals about the district's dual language program. Principals provided their opinions about the program and gave suggestions for improvements.