Dual language Programs can differ in how much Spanish is used for instruction. East Aurora has adopted two models: an 80/20 instructional model and a 50/50 instructional model. The 80/20 classrooms are a 1-teacher model, and the 50/50 classrooms follow a 2-teacher model.

All families with incoming students in the district are automatically enrolled in the Dual Language Program. Upon registration, students are placed in either English-dominant or Spanish-dominant classrooms based on a series of criteria:

Home Language Survey (HLS)
Illinois School Code 23 Illinois Administrative Code 228 requires schools to administer a Home Language Survey (HLS) to every parent/legal guardian of all newly enrolled students for the purpose of identifying students who have a language background other than English. This includes students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and grades 1-12. The HLS serves to indicate possible eligibility for bilingual/ESL education services. The HLS asks parents/guardians to answer two questions:

• Is a language other than English spoken in your home?
• Does the student speak a language other than English?

If the answer to either question on the HLS is YES, the school must assess the child’s English language proficiency using the appropriate English language proficiency screener to determine program eligibility. No later than 30 days after the beginning of the school year OR 14 days after enrollment of any student that qualifies for language services, the school district notified by mail the parents/legal guardians of the student that their child has been enrolled in the DL, TBE, or TPI program.

English Language Proficiency Screeners
The Illinois School Code 23 Illinois Administrative Code 228 also requires that schools administer an individual English language proficiency screener to students identified through the HLS as coming from a family where a language other than English is spoken. All students who have a YES answer on the HLS must be screened with the Pre-IPT (Early Childhood) Model (K-1) or WIDA Screener (1-12) to assess their English proficiency. Results from the screener will determine a student’s eligibility for language services.

Certified teachers deliver instruction in Spanish and English with the support of other staff. In the Dual Language Program, our teachers, administrators, and staff promote a positive, multilingual learning experience in which staff and students interact in a student-centered environment. Teachers use a variety of effective and developmentally appropriate instructional practices to help students build strong academic skills while learning both languages successfully.

• Read for 20-30 minutes a night in your home language.
• Talk about what your child is learning in class each day.
• Stay involved by participating in school and district events.
• Celebrate bilingualism! Embrace and promote the benefits of being bilingual.

Current research suggests that learning in two languages does not create an extra cognitive load for students
“[Dual language programs] can be seen as ideal placements for special needs students, as many of the accommodations considered useful for these students (e.g., hands-on learning, thematic instruction, and multimodal instruction) are the same strategies recommended for two-way educators,” (Howard, Sugarman, Perdomo, & Adger, 2005, p. 48).

Research has found that all students in Dual Language Programs, regardless of their pattern of language dominance, do as well as or better than students in monolingual English programs on standardized tests administered in English (Freeman, Freeman, & Mercuri, 2005, p. xiv). However, we might still expect to see a delay in these results on standardized tests in English. (Genesee, Paradis, & Crago, 2004, p. 177).