Dual Language Program
The Oswego Community Schools' Dual Language
Program provides a unique opportunity for students to participate in
the regular district curriculum in two languages. This is a program
focused on students' academic growth and achievement while having
instruction in two languages. Classrooms are composed of students
from two groups, native English speakers and native Spanish
speakers. Children participate in academic and social learning
opportunities together developing expertise in each others language
and culture as they learn the curriculum. During the 2005-06 school
year, Oswego Community Schools began a Spanish-English Dual Language
Program at the kindergarten level. Each year another grade level is
added until we reach fifth grade during the 2010-2011 school year.
Dual Language & ELL All Day Kindergarten Update
Click to to read more
| En español
Dual Language Kindergarten Application 2008-2009
school year
Click here to download PDF
Program Goals
-
Students participating in the Dual
Language Program will demonstrate academic achievement
at similar grade level performance standards as students
participating monolingual English-speaking curriculum.
-
Students will be accurate and
effective communicators in both English and Spanish
through oral dialogue, reading, and writing at age
appropriate achievement levels. \
-
Students will use both English and
Spanish comfortably and effectively in age appropriate
academic and social settings.
The Program
The Oswego 308 Dual Language Program is a K-5
learning experience in which native English speaking students and
native Spanish speaking students learn the regular curriculum in two
languages. Students learn and grow together to become bilingual,
biliterate, and bicultural.
Participants
The Dual Language program will provide learning
opportunities for native Spanish and native English speaking
kindergarten students.
Admission Process
The Dual Language program maintains a balance of native
Spanish speaking students and Native English speaking
students. Students who come from a Spanish bilingual home
will be tested with the ACCESS test to determine their
language proficiency level.
The Dual Language program is open to all families in the
Oswego 308 school district. Entrance into the kindergarten
program is through a screening and/or lottery. To be
eligible for the selection pool, parents must attend one of
several information nights and complete a student/family
profile. The information nights are to discuss the
appropriateness of the program for each child and to secure
parent commitment to the goals of Dual Language. Two groups
of students will be enrolled in DL to form each new
kindergarten class – native Spanish speaking students who do
not meet English proficiency levels and one from a group of
native English speaking students who are selected in a
lottery system.. Parents will be informed in May if their
child will participate in the program.
Special Education and Academically Talented students are
welcome in the program so long as there is no conflict due
to the degree of needs demonstrated by a child’s
Individualized Education Plan.
Due to the nature of Spanish language instruction in the
Dual Language Program, native English speaking students will
only be admitted at the kindergarten level. Native Spanish speaking students will
be assessed to determine the correct academic placement.
Enrollment priority is given to siblings of students
currently in the program.
Teachers
The Dual Language Program will be instructed by a teacher
certified in both elementary general education instruction
and bilingual Spanish education instruction.
The Curriculum
|
Grade |
Spanish/English |
L.A. |
Math |
S.S. |
Science |
Specials |
|
K |
80%/20% |
Spanish |
Spanish |
English |
Spanish |
N/A |
|
1 |
80%/20% |
Spanish |
Spanish |
Spanish |
Spanish |
English |
|
2 |
70%-30% |
Spanish, ESL Component |
Spanish |
Spanish |
Spanish |
English |
|
3 |
60%-40% |
Spanish, English Phonics |
Spanish |
Spanish |
Spanish |
English |
|
4 |
50%/50% |
Spanish, English |
English |
Spanish |
Spanish |
English |
|
5 |
50%/50% |
Spanish,
English |
English |
Spanish |
English |
English |
The Benefits
- Educational: Students who participate in dual
language programs demonstrate increased cognitive
development. Participants develop stronger vocabulary,
problem solving skills, and word analysis skills.
Students become bilingual and biliterate while mastering
the same academic content as a general education
classroom. Students also have greater abilities to
provide multiple meanings for symbols (iconicity) which
is a benefit in learning science, algebra, and calculus.
- Cognitive: Dual Language students statistically
outperform monolingual peers in beginning with the late
intermediate grades (5th and 6th). Students are able to
translate and code switch between languages. Students
regardless of academic ability range can successfully
learn to their potential in a dual language program.
- Social-Cultural Benefits: Students demonstrate
communication skills in two language. Due to the
learning environment that requires collaborative
development and support mechanisms. Children also learn
to become world citizens.
- Economic Benefits: Students will develop greater job
skills and marketability. The dual language program
opens worldwide market opportunities.
Exiting the Program
The Dual Language program is a kindergarten through
fifth grade experience. Language development and proficiency
is a long term commitment. Since limited space is available,
we ask families to commit to at least a full year of the
program. When a child leaves the program, space is made
available to qualified native Spanish speaking students.
Once a child is removed, there is no guaranteed of re-entry.
New waiting lists are created each year.
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Achievement Outcome Graphs for Dual Language
Programs
Links to Other Web
Sites
Contact Information
Rafael Segarra
Director of ELL & Dual Language Services
email |
