EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The El Paso Independent School District will expand its Dual Language Bilingual Education program in the 2024-25 school year to continue fostering bilingualism and biliteracy among a new generation of students, El Paso ISD announced in a press release sent Friday, March 8.
A phased implementation of the immersion program design was launched this school year at four pilot elementary schools for grade pre-kindergarten 3 only, according to the district.
The district says the program will expand to other elementary schools next year, with one new cohort joining each subsequent year.
El Paso ISD’s 90:10 model will start with 90 percent of instruction in Spanish and 10 percent in English, with a gradual decrease of Spanish each year until language instruction is evenly split in second grade.
The district says students will remain at 50:50 English to Spanish throughout their elementary years. All students currently enrolled in the 50:50 model will be “grandfathered” into 50:50 for the rest of their elementary school years.
Mesita Elementary School’s Mundos Unidos Gifted and Talented Program, where students also receive instruction in Mandarin Chinese in addition to Spanish, will remain a magnet program with a unique language allocation plan, according to the district.
El Paso ISD provided an example of the language allocation plan as shown below:
• Pre-kindergarten 3 = 90 percent Spanish, 10 percent English
• Pre-kindergarten 4 = 80 percent Spanish, 20 percent English
• Kindergarten = 70 percent Spanish, 30 percent English
• First grade = 60 percent Spanish, 40 percent English
• Second grade = 50 percent Spanish, 50 percent English
The district says the shift to the 90:10 model is underpinned by significant research, including works by dual-language research professors Kathryn Lindholm-Leary, Wayne Thomas, and Virginia Collier. Their findings indicate the effectiveness of the model in bridging the achievement gap between English learners and native English speakers.
“What we found as we dug into the data was that Emergent Bilingual (EB) students underperformed as compared to both non-EB Dual Language program participants and monolingual students, sometimes by very wide margins,” Veronica Reyes, executive director of Specialized Learning Programs, noted. “The strategy for the new model is grounded on the principle that early and substantial immersion in the minority language not only fosters linguistic proficiency but also amplifies academic achievement and fosters deep connections for Emergent Bilingual students.”
According to the 2023 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR), more than 43 percent of El Paso ISD’s student population qualifies for bilingual education services compared with 23 percent at the state level, according to the district.
“In a city like El Paso, bilingualism is not just a skill,” Chief Academic Officer Al Garcia said. “It’s a bridge between cultures and communities. For many children in our district, it’s also the foundation for learning. This approach promotes a deep understanding of both languages and reaffirms our commitment to a strong bilingual education program.”
Additionally, El Paso ISD will form a steering committee, comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders including principals, bilingual education teachers, researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso, and parents of both Emergent Bilingual students and monolingual students that will play a vital role in expanding the program into the secondary years.
“This steering committee represents a critical step in our journey toward a comprehensive K-12 dual language program,” Garcia said. “While we are proud of the strides we have made in our elementary schools, we recognize the importance of continuity in bilingual education through secondary school. This committee will ensure that the transition is not only seamless but also reflective of our community’s needs and aspirations.”
“As the region’s pioneer of public education and the first to provide the community with dual-language programming, El Paso ISD remains committed to dual-language education,” El Paso ISD Superintendent Diana Sayavedra said. “Strengthening our program ensures that we are providing the best educational opportunities for our students, fostering bilingualism and empowering them for success in an increasingly interconnected world.”
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