Princeton Schools to Offer Dual Language Program at Community Park School

Community Park School students entering Kindergarten and first grade in the fall will be the first with the opportunity to learn in two different languages.

The Princeton Board of Education approved the launch of the Spanish/English Dual Language Immersion (DLI) pilot program at its meeting Tuesday night.

Half the core instruction will be taught in Spanish and half the core instruction will be taught in English, the district said Wednesday morning.

Princeton becomes the third district in the state to adopt a dual language instruction program.

“Compelling research over the last 30 years shows that dual language instruction can produce important benefits for students, including enhanced cognitive skills, a heightened sense of global citizenship and higher second language proficiency,” the school district said in a statement issued Wednesday morning.

Interested parents of students entering Kindergarten only at Community Park in September should attend one of two information sessions at the school. Sessions are scheduled for Feb. 12 at 9 a.m., and Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m.

A number of information sessions for parents of rising first graders have already been offered over the past months.

A lottery will be held if parent interest at Community Park exceeds classroom capacity.

For more information about the DLI program, visit www.princetonk12.org/Dual_Immersion.