About DIA

Overview and Description:

Dual Immersion Academy provides a dual language educational opportunity for families in our community. The goal of Dual Immersion Programs such as what we have at DIA is to promote native like bilingualism and biliteracy, achieve grade level academic achievement or higher, and encourage positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors in all students.

Through a lottery system we work to achieve the ideal Dual Immersion classroom which is made up of 50% native Spanish speakers and 50% English speakers. The native English speakers and native Spanish speakers are integrated throughout the school day receiving content instruction and literacy instruction in both languages. Therefore, both groups of students have an opportunity to be peer role models.

According to research, the benefits of the Immersion Bilingual Program are educational, cognitive, socio-cultural, and economic (Calderon & Carreon, 2000; Cloud et al., 2000).

•    Educational: Students acquire high levels of proficiency in both their first and second language while developing high-level academic skills.
•    Cognitive: Bilingual students are able to problem solve more creatively. Their knowledge of the structural properties of the language allows them to decode academic language more efficiently.
•    Socio-cultural: Bilingual people are able to understand and communicate with members of other cultural groups. They are also able to respect the values and customs of the speakers of other languages.
•    Economic: There are jobs that call for bilingual or multilingual proficiency. Bilingual students' knowledge of another world language is a valuable resource that can contribute to the nation's economic relations with other countries.

Program Structure

Research has indicated that the more literate our Spanish speakers are in their first language the easier it will be for them to become literate in English. Research also indicates that most students need significant exposure to a second language to promote high levels of proficiency and achievement. This is especially true for the native English speakers in reaching high levels in Spanish because they live in an English dominant society. Therefore, Dual Immersion Academy has chosen the 90-10 Dual Immersion Model where both native English and native Spanish kindergarten and 1st grade students will receive approximately 90% of their school day in Spanish and 10% in English. As students move through the grades, there will be incremental increases of student instructional day in English:

K-1st	90%Spanish	10%English
2nd	80%Spanish	20%English
3rd	70%Spanish	30%English
4th	60%Spanish	40%English
5th	50%Spanish	50%English

In order to receive maximum benefit from a dual language program it is very important for a student to remain in the program through 6th grade. Therefore, it is critical that parents understand that they and their children are making a long-term commitment if they choose to be in a dual language program.

Dear Parents

Parents and guardians of DIA students have the right to request and receive information regarding the qualifications of their children's teachers, as per state code 1111(h)(6)(A).

For more information please contact Michael A. Westover at michael.westover@utaheducationconsulting.com



	Contact Us \| About Us \| Schedule \| Prospective Students \| Bilingual Glossary \| Career Opportunities © 2007 Dual Immersion Academy · 1155 S. Glendale Dr. · Salt Lake City, UT 84104 Tel: (801) 972-1425 · Email: info@diacharter.org · Web: www.diacharter.org