Dual Language Program
Shelton School District’s Dual Language Program
Our Dual Language program, hosted at Evergreen Elementary, runs Kindergarten-Fourth grade.
The program is a 50/50 language allocation model where students spend half their day in English and half their day in Spanish.
At most grade levels in the dual language program at Evergreen, students will engage in their different subject areas in the following languages:
| Spanish |
English |
| Spanish Language Arts |
English Language Arts |
| Math |
Social Studies |
| Science |
Specialists (Art, PE, Music, STEM, Library) |
The goal of any dual language program is:
- Speaking, reading, writing, and understanding both languages at a high proficiency
- Accessing, understanding, and achieving grade level content standards
- Developing positive cross-cultural connections between each target language and a global mindset
Our dual language classrooms boast bilingual libraries, with high interest texts in both English and Spanish to support language arts across the target languages at all grade levels. Each day students also participate in “word study” in each language helping them understand the similarities and differences between Spanish and English.
Shelton’s dual language program has been a part of our educational offerings for many years, and will be for many years to come!
Enrollment
Each spring during open enrollment, any student enrolling or currently attending in Shelton schools may fill out an enrollment request for the dual language program. Forty slots are available with each kindergarten cohort, and slots may open up in grades 1-4 due to attrition. Once students are accepted into the program, they retain the option to stay enrolled in the program until the completion of fourth grade. If there are more than 40 applicants, a lottery process will run in the spring for initial assignments. Those who remain on the waitlist will be contacted as slots open up.
Please see the Open Enrollment page for more information on the process for applying for the dual language lottery.
Success in Dual Language Programs
Many students can be successful in a dual language program, including English learners, students with IEPs, and English-speaking students, with the appropriate supports both at home and at school.
Families opting into the dual language program should consider their language foundations. Research shows that a strong language foundation in one of the partner languages sets students up for success in a dual language program.
Families are encouraged to continue to speak their home language at home with their children. Families should familiarize themselves with the differences expected of their child between dual language and traditional academic pathways so they can fully support their student both at home and at school.