Princeton Schools Affirm Dual Language Program At Community Park School

Princeton, NJ – After one year as a pilot program, the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program has a permanent home at Community Park Elementary School.

The Princeton Public School District’s Board of Education unanimously passed a measure affirming the program as a successful and ongoing initiative on Tuesday, Nov. 15, the district said Monday morning.

As part of the DLI program, students spend half of their day learning core content in Spanish, and the other half learning in English.

This 50/50 model has the students learning Spanish Language Arts, math and science in Spanish and learning social studies and language arts in English.

By alternating between the two languages, students develop flexibility and resiliency in thinking and problem solving. They also become fluent in both languages, the district said.

It has been selected as a model program by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE).

It began as a pilot program at the start of the 2015-2016 school year, with class sections in both kindergarten and first grade.

This year, the program expanded to second grade, with 43 students participating in kindergarten, 41 students in first grade and 38 students in second grade.

“Dual Language Immersion has made us a better school” Community Park Elementary School Principal Dineen Gruchacz said. “Our teachers are finding new ways to collaborate and Spanish has become part of our school’s fabric, woven into our school meetings, morning announcements, and student-led conferences.”

Board member Betsy Baglio has a child in the DLI program. In affirming the program, she said the program gives students a firsthand awareness of the world beyond Community Park and Princeton. She feels that it is an excellent example of innovation in the Princeton Public School District.

Students spend half of their day learning core content in Spanish, and the other half learning in English.

“Research supports that the DLI program raises the level of performance for all students across all subjects,” Princeton Superintendent of Schools Steve Cochrane said. “It is a remarkable program with significant potential to help us close the achievement gap.”

Patch file photo