K-5: Two-Way Immersion (TWI)
Transitional Bilingual Programs
Grades K-5 Dual Language: Two-Way Immersion (TWI)
The goal of the TWI program is for students to develop strong literacy skills and language proficiency in both English and Spanish, in order for them to become bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural. In District 65, the TWI magnet program is composed of a balance of two linguistic groups:
- Spanish-speaking students who are eligible to receive EL (English Learner) services and who have accepted services
- English proficient students
Teachers use challenging strategies that promote high levels of language and academic achievement. The same standards as general education classrooms are followed, with specific content areas taught in Spanish or English.
The program is available to all Spanish speaking students who accept services, and to English proficient students through a magnet lottery at the following elementary schools: Dawes, Dewey, Oakton, Washington, and Willard. The TWI program has expanded to serve kindergarten through fifth grade students enrolled at Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies. Bessie Rhodes is the first school to expand the dual language (the umbrella term of TWI) program to sixth grade beginning fall 2024. It will continue to add one grade per year. When the building of Bessie Rhodes closes, students from Bessie Rhodes K-5 will go to Foster School and the dual language program grades 6-8 will be offered at Haven Middle School.
Grades 6-8 Spanish Language Arts
In addition, we offer a Spanish Language Arts (SLA) class for our former kindergarten through fifth grade TWI students and native Spanish-speakers from Spanish-speaking countries or Dual Language Programs from other districts, as a way of building upon their academic language skills in Spanish in literacy. The literacy skills students employ in the SLA class build upon the same skills emphasized in the Illinois Learning Standards in Spanish and help students make explicit connections between and across languages. These programs are currently available at: Chute, Haven, and Nichols.
Dual Language Middle School
The dual language middle school at Bessie Rhodes differs from the SLA course in that SLA is only 39 minutes a day and the only instruction in Spanish is in literacy. Please see the dual language middle school page for more information.
Video Resources
Program Goals
Vision
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Dual Language program embraces rigorous academic practices that develop high levels of linguistic and academic proficiency in two languages while simultaneously fostering positive sociocultural attitudes and behaviors.
Mission
In keeping with Evanston/Skokie School District 65's commitments to culturally relevant teaching and equity, the Dual Language program aims to center Spanish speaking English Language Learners as we work together as a community, inspire creativity and prepare each student to achieve academically, grow personally and contribute positively to a global society by becoming fully bilingual, biliterate, and multicultural.