Norton Space and Aeronautics Academy
A Dual Immersion School
Norton Space and Aeronautics Academy is a Dual Immersion Program School which supports our charter educational goals. Our goal is for all Dual Immersion students to be able to speak, read, and write in English and Spanish in all academic areas after continued attendance in the program for five (5) years.
What is a dual immersion program?
Dual immersion, also known as Two-way immersion programs, integrate language minority students (English learners) and language majority students (English speakers) in order to develop their bilingualism and bi-literacy in English and another language. In two-way programs, the model selected generally prescribes the amount of time spent in the target (non English) language.
There are two common program models:
50/50 Model: Both English and the target language are used 50 percent of the time during the entire program.
90/10 Model: English is used for a minimum of ten percent of the time beginning in kindergarten, and the percentage increases annually until both English and the target language are used equally.
Norton Space School follows the 90/10 model. Please click on the link below to see what subjects are taught in Spanish and/or the number of minutes a subject is taught in English.
In both models, instruction is delivered in and through the two languages, however, only one language at a time is used for instruction. Two-way immersion programs combine a maintenance bilingual education with a foreign language immersion model and minimally last from five to seven years.
Kindergarten students attend school for the full day. New students entering Norton School in grades above 2, should come from a bilingual classroom or bilingual home environment to be considered for the program.
What are the goals of a dual immersion school?
Bilingualism: High levels of proficiency in English and a second language. All participants will demonstrate oral proficiency in their first and a second language.
Bi-literacy: High levels of academic proficiency in English and a second language. All participants will demonstrate their ability to perform on grade level in English on the same tests and standards as all students as well as in the target language.
Multicultural proficiency: Understanding of different cultures and development of high self-esteem. All participants will demonstrate their ability to appreciate the values of other cultures in our society.
Helpful Resources
Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education - English
A Framework for Promoting Sustained Reading Development Among English Learners by Jim Cummins - English / Español
Dual Language Education by Kathryn Lindholm-Leary, Ph.D. - English / Español
Bilingualism and Young Children by Laura-Ann Petitto, Ph.D. - English / Español
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