Spanish/English Dual Language Program

• Be successful in all academic subjects
• Achieve true bilingualism and biliteracy of participating students
• Acquire the knowledge skills and dispositions to be competent global citizens

To ensure achievement and success for students, it is necessary for families to make a long-term commitment to the program. Active parent support is extremely important to the long-term success of the program.

• Bilingual students generally demonstrate academic gains. Research shows that students in language learning programs typically develop strong academic skills in addition to becoming proficient in both languages.
• Students have the opportunity to achieve true bilingualism and biliteracy in Spanish and English. Students learn languages more easily at an early age. Immersing and instructing students in a second language provides an effective vehicle for students to learn to speak read, and write in both languages by fifth grade.
• Students develop cultural literacy as well as enhanced cognitive skills. Language Learning program students benefit from the ability to communicate with people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. They also typically experience academic achievement at or above their single-language peers. Research covering more than 40 years of language instruction shows that students receive a variety of cognitive benefits such as mental flexibility, nonverbal problem-solving abilities and enhanced critical thinking skills.

Interested families are required to attend one of the informational meetings offered at the school prior to submitting an application for the program. Families must complete and submit an application for their child. Applications will be available at the program’s elementary schools, as well as online. Applications must be returned to one of those schools by the deadline to be entered into the student selection process. (If there are more applicants than spaces in the program, students will be selected through a lottery process.)

Students residing within the school boundaries of one of the elementary schools with the program will be placed in the first round of student selection. The second round will be for students who live outside of those schools’ boundaries, but within Vancouver Public Schools’ boundaries. The third round will be for students living outside of Vancouver Public Schools (per district regulations). All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the student selection process.

Parents of students outside of school boundaries who are selected for this program will be required to provide their own transportation to and from school.

Once students are admitted to the program, they will have continued placement in the program each year without having to reapply. Annual renewal of boundary exceptions is required for students living outside of the program schools’ boundaries.

Siblings of students admitted to the program are not guaranteed placement in the program, nor are they given preference on a waiting list based on their sibling’s admission to the program. Parents may apply for a boundary exception for a sibling to attend the same school. Regular boundary exception policies apply (Regulation 5115, sections II–V).