Reply to Positive Momentum in Alexandria?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote]This is general research conducted years ago. It is not specific research based on outcomes of the Alexandria dual immersion programs.

Basically, the schools that house the programs have large parent population who simply don't care if their kid is in a special program and don't really see the advantages. You are talking about a large segment of the population who see going and staying in school as well as graduating from high school as a major life achievement not a necessary stepping stone to higher education, better career, higher income.  Also, if the school serves a large immigrant population that is not Spanish speaking, then the kids are entering school as ELL learners to begin with. They need to get a grasp on English so I can see why a dual immersion program is not attractive to a family who has immigrated from Ethiopia for example.[/quote]

I don't think we're talking about the same program.  It's the parents that DO care that enter the lottery to get into the program.  These kids aren't just snatched from the general school population.  Their parents have to actively sign them up.  Also, only kids who speak the immersion language at home (Spanish in this case) or speak English at home are allowed into the progam.  Kids who would be learning Spanish/English as a third language are not considered for the program.

The research you dismiss out of hand is not outdated.  It is relevant and I have yet to see anything subsequent come out disputing or contradicting the earlier findings.  You also state "I've spotted many errors in work brought home and I often hear that they just lapse into English or "Spanglish" to explain difficult concepts"  but you find no mistakes in the English language materials that come home?  I certainly have.  My DH sometimes think that there are errors in the Spanish materials that come home but it's not erroneous to Spanish speakers from South America.  Finally, you "hear that they lapse into English or Spanglish"?  You've never actually heard this yourself?  Even if you had, I say 'so what'?

Immersion isn't for everyone but decisions should be made on facts not prejudices and unsubstantiated opinion.  You certainly shouldn't be disparaging programs you know so little about.[/quote]

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