Anonymous wrote:What does your son learn in 2x Spanish class in first grade? I seriously doubt there is a lot of reading and/or writing. They probably learn to count, name stuff like body parts, etc. It definitely is not immersion or even learning a language. Only some exposure for enrichment and probably counts the same as a special like music, art and PE class. This is definitely NOT immersion.

Even if he hates the twice a week Spanish, I would not opt him out of it. If your DS did not like music, art or PE would you let him opt out simply b/c he did not like it. He's going to have to learn at some point that he needs to put forth effort on things he does not like... and this is only twice a wk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They provide special ed services in English.

Do you mean services like OT, Speech therapy, etc? I can understand not being able to provide these services in the target language (although it shouln't be too difficult to fine Spanish speaking OTs, etc.)

If you mean the school is only able to provide special ed support in English that's too bad considering it's an immersion school. My DC gets 2 hrs of Sp Ed support daily per his IEP and it's in either English or Mandarin depending on whether it's English day or Chinese day. Would be very unhappy with the school (and likely illegal) if they only provided 1/2 the support mandated by his IEP.

Anonymous wrote:They provide special ed services in English.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child attends an immersion school, a DCPCS, and a bilingual Sp Ed teacher is permanently assigned to the classroom. I doubt they could meet the Sp Ed support written into my child's IEP otherwise since he spends 50% of his time in the target language.

My DD is in a FCPS immersion school (Spanish) and it's a majority Hispanic school. There are no bilingual special ed teachers in the entire school at all!

How do they provide Sp Ed support then? Our school is immersion Mandarin and most students do not come from Mandarin speaking households. We don't. I would guess it's much easier to find bilingual Spanish/English Sp Ed teachers...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child attends an immersion school, a DCPCS, and a bilingual Sp Ed teacher is permanently assigned to the classroom. I doubt they could meet the Sp Ed support written into my child's IEP otherwise since he spends 50% of his time in the target language.

My DD is in a FCPS immersion school (Spanish) and it's a majority Hispanic school. There are no bilingual special ed teachers in the entire school at all!

Anonymous wrote:My child attends an immersion school, a DCPCS, and a bilingual Sp Ed teacher is permanently assigned to the classroom. I doubt they could meet the Sp Ed support written into my child's IEP otherwise since he spends 50% of his time in the target language.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the one who posted about a child who has stuck with the program and likely will continue it. As I said up front, it depends on a child's disabilities. As for services, it's only now, late in elementary that we became fully aware that, legally, the school system is required to provide services or at least accomodations; most school systems, including ours, are not prepared for this and, in fact, for years we were told that they don't provide such services -- and we accepted that as accurate. It's not. So we've been working with them on accomodations. I will say that that the lack of services until now has definitely not been helpful but nevertheless, the special ed services in English have helped with Spanish reading and writing. DC's reading in Spanish took off at the same time as reading in English did -- but both also remain challenging (DC now reads close to grade level after lagging a year+ behind in English reading). Also, there's transference - DC was able to talk in English about subjects learned in Spanish with no problem. I also understand that speech issues can be very different - DC "only" has ADHD and a writing disability (although we think there may be others)

At the elementary level, foreign language isn't a core subject. FCPS is not required to provide foreign language special ed services. If a child is unable to access the curricula in the target language without special education services then immersion will be deemed inappropriate for the child and he will be re-assigned to a non-immersion classroom. Not saying kids wouldn't benefit from it but considering the funding situation, I understand it.

Not true as far as I know (whether they will provide services is another matter). VA special ed regs define foreign language as a core subject - period.

While foreign language is defined in federal law as a core academic subject, it is not at the elementary school level. If it were, all elementary school kids in the US would receive foreign language instruction, there would be standardized testing and special education services would be provided in the target language. I doubt very much it's going to change any time soon.

The FCPS Office of Instruction has indicated in writing that ‘immersion’ is a supplement to the regular academic program and not an academic requirement. If special education services are required in the target language for a child to access the curricula, the child will be re-assigned to a regular classroom. Our education consultant has also indicated, even if we had the money for a legal battle, we wouldn’t win on this issue. Until foreign language is a core academic subject for elementary school kids, special education services aren’t required to be provided in the target language.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the one who posted about a child who has stuck with the program and likely will continue it. As I said up front, it depends on a child's disabilities. As for services, it's only now, late in elementary that we became fully aware that, legally, the school system is required to provide services or at least accomodations; most school systems, including ours, are not prepared for this and, in fact, for years we were told that they don't provide such services -- and we accepted that as accurate. It's not. So we've been working with them on accomodations. I will say that that the lack of services until now has definitely not been helpful but nevertheless, the special ed services in English have helped with Spanish reading and writing. DC's reading in Spanish took off at the same time as reading in English did -- but both also remain challenging (DC now reads close to grade level after lagging a year+ behind in English reading). Also, there's transference - DC was able to talk in English about subjects learned in Spanish with no problem. I also understand that speech issues can be very different - DC "only" has ADHD and a writing disability (although we think there may be others)

At the elementary level, foreign language isn't a core subject. FCPS is not required to provide foreign language special ed services. If a child is unable to access the curricula in the target language without special education services then immersion will be deemed inappropriate for the child and he will be re-assigned to a non-immersion classroom. Not saying kids wouldn't benefit from it but considering the funding situation, I understand it.

Not true as far as I know (whether they will provide services is another matter). VA special ed regs define foreign language as a core subject - period.

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the one who posted about a child who has stuck with the program and likely will continue it. As I said up front, it depends on a child's disabilities. As for services, it's only now, late in elementary that we became fully aware that, legally, the school system is required to provide services or at least accomodations; most school systems, including ours, are not prepared for this and, in fact, for years we were told that they don't provide such services -- and we accepted that as accurate. It's not. So we've been working with them on accomodations. I will say that that the lack of services until now has definitely not been helpful but nevertheless, the special ed services in English have helped with Spanish reading and writing. DC's reading in Spanish took off at the same time as reading in English did -- but both also remain challenging (DC now reads close to grade level after lagging a year+ behind in English reading). Also, there's transference - DC was able to talk in English about subjects learned in Spanish with no problem. I also understand that speech issues can be very different - DC "only" has ADHD and a writing disability (although we think there may be others)

At the elementary level, foreign language isn't a core subject. FCPS is not required to provide foreign language special ed services. If a child is unable to access the curricula in the target language without special education services then immersion will be deemed inappropriate for the child and he will be re-assigned to a non-immersion classroom. Not saying kids wouldn't benefit from it but considering the funding situation, I understand it.