- Stetson Elementary School
- OWL Dual Language Immersion
OWL Language Immersion
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OWL: Dual Language Immersion
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What is Dual Language Immersion:
Dual language education is an educational program for developing language and content in two languages while students develop sociocultural competence.
The three pillars, or goals, of dual language education are the promotion of
- bilingualism and biliteracy,
- grade-level academic achievement in both languages, and
- sociocultural competence.
Students maintain their first language while adding a second language, and they develop pride in their own language and culture while developing an understanding of the cultures and traditions of others. The program at Stetson Elementary will be a Spanish/English program that utilizes the 80:20 immersion model. This means that students will learn academic standards in the target language in Kindergarten and 1st grade for 80% of classroom instruction, with the 20% of English instruction focused on literacy skills that are unique to English (such as specific phonetic sounds and oral language.)
Why should I enroll my student?
- Students achieve high levels of proficiency in both English and Spanish.
- After time, students perform as well as or better than non-immersion students on standardized tests of English and math administered in English.
- Students typically develop greater cognitive flexibility, demonstrating increased attention control, better memory, and stronger problem-solving skills as well as an enhanced understanding of their own language.
- Students are more aware of and show more positive attitudes towards other cultures; a global skill needed for the 21st century.
- Students will be on a path to earning the Seal of Biliteracy, which is evidence of skills that are attractive to future employers and college admission offices, as well as the possibility of earning college credit before graduating.
Expectations for a parent of a student in Dual Language Immersion:
- Like playing an instrument or a sport, language acquisition takes several years to develop.
- Requires a commitment from parents and students because proficiency in two languages requires extensive exposure to both languages.
- Must attend one information meeting prior to lottery.
- Required Volunteer hours from each family.
- Lottery process/limited seats available. Special population consideration.
Preference categories:
Due to funding sources for this opportunity, requirements of home language and military connection will be considered in the lottery drawing. Maintaining percentages of Spanish/English home language students, as well as military-connected students is essential for this program. See Lottery Information below.
OWL: Inmersión en dos idiomas
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¿Qué es la Inmersión en Dos Idiomas?
La educación en dos idiomas es un programa educativo para desarrollar el lenguaje y el contenido en dos idiomas mientras los estudiantes adquieren competencia sociocultural.
Los tres pilares, o metas, de la educación en dos idiomas son la promoción de:
- Bilingüismo y alfabetización bilingüe,
- Rendimiento académico a nivel de grado en ambos idiomas, y
- Competencia sociocultural.
Los estudiantes mantienen su primer idioma mientras aprenden un segundo idioma, y desarrollan orgullo por su propio idioma y cultura al mismo tiempo que adquieren una comprensión de las culturas y tradiciones de otros. El programa en la Escuela Primaria Stetson será un programa español/inglés que utiliza el modelo de inmersión 80:20. Esto significa que los estudiantes aprenderán los estándares académicos en el idioma objetivo en Kindergarten y primer grado durante el 80% de la instrucción en el aula, y el 20% de la instrucción en inglés se centrará en habilidades de lectoescritura que son únicas del inglés (como sonidos fonéticos específicos y lenguaje oral).
¿Por qué debería inscribir a mi estudiante?
- Los estudiantes alcanzan altos niveles de competencia tanto en inglés como en español.
- Con el tiempo, los estudiantes tienen un desempeño igual o mejor que los estudiantes no inmersos en pruebas estandarizadas de inglés y matemáticas administradas en inglés.
- Los estudiantes suelen desarrollar una mayor flexibilidad cognitiva, demostrando un mayor control de la atención, mejor memoria y mejores habilidades para resolver problemas, así como una comprensión mejorada de su propio idioma.
- Los estudiantes están más conscientes y tienen actitudes más positivas hacia otras culturas, una habilidad global necesaria para el siglo XXI.
- Los estudiantes estarán en camino de obtener el Sello de Biliteracidad, que es evidencia de habilidades atractivas para futuros empleadores y oficinas de admisión universitaria, así como la posibilidad de obtener créditos universitarios antes de graduarse.
Expectativas para los padres de un estudiante en la Inmersión en Dos Idiomas:
- Al igual que tocar un instrumento o practicar un deporte, adquirir un idioma lleva varios años de desarrollo.
- Requiere un compromiso por parte de los padres y los estudiantes, ya que la competencia en dos idiomas requiere una amplia exposición a ambos idiomas.
- Debe asistir a una reunión informativa antes de la lotería.
- Horas de voluntariado requeridas por cada familia.
- Proceso de lotería/asientos limitados. Consideración especial para poblaciones específicas.
Categorías de preferencia:
Debido a las fuentes de financiamiento para esta oportunidad, se considerarán los requisitos de idioma en el hogar y conexiones militares en el sorteo de la lotería. Mantener porcentajes de estudiantes con idioma principal español/inglés y estudiantes conectados con el servicio militar es esencial para este programa. Consulte la información de la lotería a continuación.
Contacts Contactos
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Jessica Crawford Nelson
Dual Language Immerson Program Specialist
Especialista en el Programa de Inmersión en Dos Idiomas
Phone: 719-233-2504
Email: jessica.crawford@d49.org
Veronica Harvey
Owl Project Manager
Gerente De Proyectos
Phone: 719-495-1100, ext. 1035
Email: veronica.harvey@d49.org
Dual Language Advisor Board. Junta asesora de inmersión bilingüe
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Are you interested in being on the Dual Language Community Advisory Board for the OWL program? Click the link below to find out more information.
¿Está interesado en ser parte de la Junta Asesora de inmersión bilingüe? Haga clic en el siguiente enlace para obtener más información.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5HO2bHDlgYwMACuq1ZDOy2RYwBVev5E2qgScRNWvzJR1oog/viewform
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The Grant
U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Awarded District 49 its fifth grant in seven years. Operation World Language (OWL) is a two-million-dollar grant that aims to increase the availability and use of world language instruction in order to support academic success and post-graduation opportunities in District 49.
To accomplish this goal, D49 will bring a Spanish Dual Language Immersion program to be housed at Stetson Elementary School. Research has shown that children who are bilingual and biliterate do better academically than their peers who speak only their native language. Professional development is incorporated to ensure that the hired teachers are fluent and comfortable with the selected curriculum. To truly serve the needs of our community, multiple language offerings are the long-term goal for sustainability, after the successful implementation of Spanish, through collaboration with our stakeholders.
It is imperative that once students have acquired the skill of a second language, that skill must be fostered in a rigorous manner. To combat potential learning loss, secondary students, housed within Horizon Middle School, will have the opportunity to continue World Language learning through multiple discipline classes being offered in that target language. This new opportunity promotes the development of biliterate students through the incorporation of World Language across educational content areas. Activity partnerships with University of Colorado, Colorado Springs will support World Language use in specific career fields. Additionally, the project adds professional development support to secondary teachers that currently teach World Language. Secondary students will then be encouraged to work towards a Seal of Biliteracy, through advanced assessments and application of the target language, which will increase their opportunities post-graduation.
DoDEA’s vision of “Excellence in education for every student, every day, everywhere” is realized through this partnership with public school districts, and District 49 is thrilled to continue this amazing partnership with them.
In a survey of our community in April of 2021, the interest was through the roof. Out of the almost 600 responses, 86 percent showed some level of interest in a dual-language program in D49, with 74 percent being either very interested or extremely interested. We are super excited to finally be able to offer this highly needed and desired program in District 49.