A new program that teaches kids two languages at once with one of its goals being to prevent future dropouts could make its way into more city classrooms.

Tonight, parents and teachers are scheduled to promote the dual-language program at the Albuquerque Board of Education meeting, seeking support to expand it to middle and high schools.

“We’re hoping to pack the place and make sure that our kids have somewhere to go,” said Principal Richard Baldonado, whose students at East San Jose have access to the program.

Baldonado’s school, along with La Mesa Elementary, recently received grants of about $1.3 million each from the U.S. Department of Education to train teachers, staff and parents.

Here’s how it works: Students are taught in their native language, usually Spanish, when they start school in kindergarten. By the end of fifth grade, the goal is to have them proficient in Spanish and English, and learning in each language half of the day.

Other bilingual programs usually try to move the kids out of their native language and into English as quickly as possible.

“Kids start school with their native language no matter what it is,” said Theresa Duran, a language arts teacher at Truman Middle School. “If they can learn to read and write in their native language, then it’s easier for them to learn a second language.”

Truman is adopting the program this fall as the first middle school in the state to do so, Duran said.

“It also will keep kids from being referred to special ed (programs)

when they’re probably not special ed,” she said. “We don’t want kids in special ed who don’t have a learning disability.”

In 1999-2000, there were 18,959 students who received bilingual services from the district. Of those, 1,176 were in dual-language programs.

This fall, Duran said she and one other teacher will guide 48 students through the all-day program.

The students spend half a day with each teacher, learning one language in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Each teacher will teach three subjects for that half-day period.

The program is also open to English speaking students who want to learn Spanish which is part of the reason it works so well, said David Rodgers, the program coordinator at Dolores Gonzales Middle School.

“Most of the bilingual education that we still see today is what we call transitional bilingual education,” Rodgers said, “where the main goal is to mainstream kids . . . as quickly as possible.”

Rodgers says that strategy often fails because academics come second after making sure the kids switch to English.

“Brain research shows that knowing more than one language . . . actually progresses your cognitive development as well, and you have higher critical thinking skills,” Rodgers said.

Longfellow, Dolores Gonzales, East San Jose, Valle Vista and Zia Elementary Schools use the program now.

This fall, Rodgers said, Truman and Washington Middle Schools will start programs.

And Adobe Acres, Navajo and Montezuma Elementary Schools will also start programs this fall, he said.

Lynne Rosen, the district’s bilingual coordinator, said it’s up to local schools what programs they use. But she said the dual language program is proven, and often leads to better student academics.

“Parents really do want their children in two-way bilingual programs,” she said. “They see these programs as gifted programs, as enriched programs and they really want their children to become global citizens.”

Baldonado said his students that have been in the program the longest post above-average test scores on a standardized test in Spanish.



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