Del Valle ISD introduces advanced Spanish program for middle school students
AUSTIN, Texas - Del Valle ISD (DVISD) will offer a "rigorous and advanced" Spanish program for middle school students starting in the 2022-23 school year.
The district says the new pathway will offer native speakers the opportunity to earn high school credit as early as sixth grade. This program will be the next step in the district's robust multilingual plan that also includes two-way dual language bringing native English and Spanish speakers together in one classroom.
The two-way program requires enrollment in Pre-K or Kindergarten and will scale up through elementary school with plans for middle school as the program grows, according to DVISD.
Students will have the opportunity to increase and refine their communication and literary skills in academic Spanish by engaging in meaningful activities through the new course. This includes vocabulary acquisition, communication strategies, and cultural understanding.
"As part of the district’s mission to create a bi-literate, culturally responsive academic foundation, this program is exceptionally important," said Superintendent Dr. Annette Tielle. "We have wonderful students who have advanced Spanish language skills in middle school and this allows them to complete up to 4 high school credits before they even leave middle school."
Students will learn these advanced skills through critical reading and analyzing of literary and informative texts, discussions, essays, interpersonal and presentational writing, listening, and contribution of ideas. Students will earn high school credit by passing high school level end-of-course exams, according to the district.
Course selection for eligible fifth grade students is currently taking place as students prepare to enter middle school.
Parents with English-speaking students entering Pre-K, Kindergarten, and first grade for the 2022-23 school year are invited to the remaining two-way dual language informational meetings on March 1 and March 3. Attending one of the meetings is required to enroll in the program. Meeting information can be found here.
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