By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
Students at three Chapel Hill-Carrboro elementary schools could have the opportunity to enter the Spanish-English dual-language program next year, under a proposal recently considered by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education.
Under the proposal, the program – in which a class comprised equally of native English-speaking students and native Spanish-speaking students is taught both in English and Spanish – would be expanded to Frank Porter Graham, McDougle and Scroggs elementary schools for the 2008-09 school year.
The program is now offered only at Carrboro Elementary School. A Chinese-English dual-language program is offered at Glenwood Elementary School.
Although the board took no action on the proposal because it was a work-session item, board members said they supported expanding the program.
“I do think that it makes sense to go forward [with the program]. This is a popular program – there’s a waiting list,†board member Mike Kelley said. “As long as there are qualified teachers, interested native English speakers and enough native Spanish speakers it makes sense to me to expand this into as many schools as possible.â€
Board member Jean Hamilton agreed.
“I’ve seen the benefits [of the program],†Hamilton said, adding that the demand for the program proves the need to expand it.
In addition, Hamilton said expanding the program would benefit the program’s teachers by creating a critical mass of teachers who can work together.
Superintendent Neil Pedersen said that although the program was too new to have substantial achievement data, students seemed to benefit from the program.
“I know we’re still in our infancy,†he said. “But I think that every indication is that achievement is at least as good as … a traditional program and that students are developing fluency in two languages.â€
Pedersen said that considering transportation costs, it would be more cost-effective for the district to expand the program to other schools rather than to make it a magnet program at one school.
“We haven’t really developed a system where we have the capacity to transport students all over this district,†he said.
The board will revisit the proposed expansion at a meeting on January 17.