Dual Language

Shoreline’s Dual Language Program serves native speakers of Spanish and English at Briarcrest Elementary School and Kellogg Middle School. The three goals for all participating students are:

Bilingualism and biliteracy
High academic achievement
Cross-cultural understanding

In order to achieve these goals, our program includes the following features:

Each classroom will have an equal number of students whose primary languages are English or Spanish
Students will work together in cooperative groups and with their “bilingual buddy”
Teachers will teach solely in the designated language of that class with no translation
In younger grades, 80% of the day's instruction will be in Spanish, 20% in Engilsh
By 3rd grade, 50% of each day will be taught in Spanish and the other 50% in English
Students will be taught to develop bridges between what they have learned in one language for use in their second language
Ongoing language acquisition and academic assessment to determine student needs will be performed in both languages
Content will be taught through enriched education

Enrollment Information

Elementary School Dual Language Program Enrollment

Kindergarten Enrollment at Briarcrest Elementary

First preference for kindergarten enrollment in the Dual Language Program (DL) is given to students in the Briarcrest service area. The remaining spots will be offered to other Shoreline Schools students whose parent/guardian(s) expressed interest during enrollment. Once spots are filled, the remaining students will be added to the DL waitlist.
Students of siblings currently enrolled in DL have priority and may comprise up to 50% of the enrollment per language group.
If the number of applicants with siblings at the time of the lottery exceeds 50% of the available kindergarten spaces, a sibling lottery will be conducted.
Kindergarten students with siblings in the program who are not selected for admission via sibling lottery will be included in the non-sibling Briarcrest DL lottery.
If they are not chosen for a spot in the Dual Language Program through that process, they will then become a part of the general kindergarten registration and added to the DL waitlist.

Enrollment Steps and Timeline for Briarcrest Students

February:
- Step 1: Enroll in kindergarten
- Step 2: Watch the informational video above and submit the DL supplemental form found here
March: Students will be selected by lottery to fill 80% of seats in each language (Spanish and English)
- Interested students not selected in the March lottery will be added to the May lottery
- Student entry task will be required for verification of native Spanish language.
May: Students will be selected by lottery to fill remaining 20% of seats in each language (Spanish and English)
After February of 1st grade, DL no longer accepts students who are not native Spanish speakers*
After lottery has been conducted, new inquiries will be added to the waitlist

Enrollment Timeline for Resident Transfer Students

February: Follow the kindergarten timeline and enrollment process at neighborhood school
- Step 1: Enroll in kindergarten
- Step 2: Watch the informational video above and submit the DL supplemental form found here
A Spanish entry task may be given to students who are selected into the program after the first semester of 1st grade (successful participation required). Also at this time, DL spots are no longer available for students who are non-native Spanish speakers*
District waitlist by language will be created after May, including any new inquiries. Please note that Briarcrest students do have priority on the waitlist*

*English speakers may be admitted to the program on a case-by-case basis after February 1 of 1st grade, depending on the student’s ability to be successful in the Spanish portions of the day and the family’s ability to support Spanish language acquisition. Students who are on the waitlist will be selected once space is available and they have taken a language assessment

Middle School Dual Language Program Enrollment

6th and 7th Grade at Kellogg Middle School

Enrollment in the program at Kellogg is an option for bilingual students who can speak and understand Spanish. For the 2023-24 school year, the dual language program is available for 6th and 7th grade students and will advance each year with this first cohort.

Transportation from outside of the Kellogg school boundary is not available at this time.

To learn more about the dual language program at Kellogg Middle School, contact Maria Treviño, Dual Language Program Coordinator: maria.trevino@ssd412.org

Program Goals

Briarcrest Elementary's Dual Language Page

High Academic Achievement

Students will develop skills at or above grade level in all academic areas

Bilingualism and biliteracy

Students will emerge from the program comfortable and fluent in both Spanish and English communication. They will write and read both languages at equal skill levels

High self esteem and sense of identity

Through development of their primary language, learners will learn to value their cultural background. By becoming bilingual and biliterate, they will learn to recognize their own potential

Cross-cultural awareness

As they communicate across language barriers, students will learn to respect and appreciate the diversity of people and cultures

Cooperative problem-solving

To help children work together and to value each other, the program emphasizes cooperative learning and problem solving

Program Benefits

Cognitive

Supports intellectual growth and enhances mental development
Creates more flexibility and creativity in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and a better ability to listen

Socio-Cultural

Ability to communicate with those who speak another language
Respect the role language has in cultural identity
Experience different cultures and people
Bolsters pride in a student's own family culture

Language Allocation

Shoreline’s Dual Language Program uses an 80/20 language allocation model in the younger grades. In Kindergarten, 80% of the instruction is in Spanish, and 20% is in English.

In 3rd grade and beyond, 50% of instruction takes place in Spanish and 50% takes place in English. The 6th grade classes taught in Spanish at Kellogg Middle School are Humanities (Social Studies and Literacy), Science, and Round Table.

See the kindergarten - grade 6 language allocation model

Curriculum & Instruction

The curriculum and instruction within our Dual Language model is anchored in the concept of the development of biliteracy, which recognizes and builds on the cultural, linguistic, and academic repertoires of students and teachers, as articulated by the Center for Teaching for Biliteracy. Teachers in Shoreline’s Dual Language program utilize the Bilingual Unit Framework (BUF) model to design instruction in both Spanish and English.

Assessment

We monitor students’ academic progress using a variety of district and state assessments. In order to monitor how students are developing biliteracy, beginning in first grade we use the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) its partner assessment in Spanish, Evaluación del Desarrollo de la Lectura (EDL), together to see a full picture of each student as a reader in both English and Spanish.

Family Involvement

Parent/Guardian involvement and commitment are essential to the success of students in the program. Before enrolling in the program, parents/guardians must make a commitment to:

Maintain the student’s continuous enrollment in the program
With supporting materials from school, work with the child at home in their native language to continue to develop her/his language and academic skills
Aspire to learn in their child’s second language
Participate in parent meetings and school functions
Serve as advocates for the program

For more information on our Dual Language Program, please contact:

Maria Treviño, Dual Language Program Coordinator

Derek Dalasta, Briarcrest Elementary School Principal

Becca Whitney, Kellogg Middle School Principal

Ellen Kaje, Ph.D., Director of Categorical Programs and Academic Support

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