Summary

NISD has made the decision to end the Dual Language Program for Middle School students after the end of the 2024-2025 school year.  It is being replaced by an Advanced Spanish Program.

This petition is intended to express the community's desire to continue the program or make changes to the proposed Advanced Spanish Program to enabling continued success rates for our children.

 

Benefits of a Dual Language Program

Dual language programs are growing throughout the nation, due to their benefits.  We are fortunate enough for NISD to offer this program for our children and we want to thank them for it.  Some of the benefits of a dual language program are as follows:

Academic excellence: Bilingual students tend to perform better academically and have superior problem-solving skills.
Cognitive advantages: Learning two languages can enhance cognitive development, memory, and attention.
Cultural understanding: Dual language programs promote cultural awareness and appreciation.
Future opportunities: Bilingualism can open doors to a wider range of career and educational opportunities.

 

The Expiring Dual Language Program

The current dual language middle school program at the middle school level will no longer be offered to new middle school students after the current school year.  This program included both a Spanish immersion social studies class and a Spanish language class throughout grades 6 through 8. In 8th grade there is an over 95% pass rate for the AP Spanish Exam.  

Students zoned for surrounding schools without a dual language program are mapped to the schools that have them, for both elementary and middle school, and many families have chosen to travel the extra distances because of the value of the program.

Many students have participated and excelled in this program.  It is the program that was promised to our children when we enrolled them in dual language in preK, Kinder, or 1st Grade.  We had to sign a document promising to keep our kids enrolled until at least 5th grade, but highly encouraged to keep our children in through 8th grade because middle school years are when children reap a lot of the benefits of this program.

This program has been wildly successful.  Thank you NISD on behalf of all the children that have worked hard and become better people because of this program.  Thank you also to all the many teachers and staff that have made this possible and blessed so many students’ lives.

 

The New Spanish Language Program

Starting in the 2025-26 school year, NISD has decided to forego the dual language program at the middle school level.  

The new program does not include Spanish Immersion classes, such as history taught in Spanish, but only Spanish Language classes.  

Unlike before, children in the dual langauge program in 5th grade are not automatically continuing their Spanish journey in 6th grade.  There are now 2 requirements kids need to achieve and parents need to apply to join the Spanish Language progam.

Requirements:

• Achieve a level 4 or 5 on the LAS Links test
• Participate in Dual Language for at least 5 years
• Achieves "Meets" or above on both Math and Reading STAAR tests

Unlike before, this program is now offered at all middle school campuses in the district, but will look different depending on which middle school children attend.  They have been encouraged to attend their home campuses.  Depending on which school they attend, the program will look like one of the 2 options below.

Campus Option 1:

6th Grade Adv Spanish 2

7th Grade Adv Spanish 3

8th Grade Spanish 4 AP for potential college credit

 

Campus Option 2:

6th Grade - NO SPANISH

7th Grade - A Spanish Placement test will be used to select a Spanish course

 

In Option 2, after a full year of not using Spanish at school, they will continue their Spanish journey.  

 

Our Concerns

LAS Links Test Requirement

The LAS Links test is being used as a requirement for students to enter the new Spanish Language program.  This test in 2023-2024 school year had a pass rate of around 22.5%.  Even many students growing up in Spanish households do not pass it, but it is especially hard to pass as a student growing up in an English speaking household. Statistically, over 3/4 of our students that apply will not be admitted into the program.  NISD is abandoning MOST of our children who have grown up in this program.

Less Spanish Opportunities

Before our children entered this program, we were told about the academic benefits.  The learning would be slower in the lower grades, as the children were learning in both English and Spanish, but that in the higher grades they would excel and exceed average student growth.  The school district has chosen to remove half of the Spanish opportunities(the immersion classes) during those last 3 years of this journey, the part where they soar. 

A Broken Promise

When we signed up our children for NISD’s Dual Language program, we were promised it would continue through 8th grade.  This is no longer the case.  Our children are not being grandfathered in.  A promise was broken.  It takes 6-8 years for language aquisition.  NISD is choosing to end that journey early for many students.

 

Disruption

While all middle schools now offer a Spanish program, students are directed to their zoned schools. This disrupts the continuity for many who attended elementary schools outside their zone for the dual language program. These students will be separated from their long-time peers, contrary to what was originally communicated.

 

2 Different Implementations of the Program

The district's implementation of the new Spanish program creates a significant inequity between campuses. Option 1 offers a continuous pathway with Advanced Spanish 2 in 6th grade, Advanced Spanish 3 in 7th grade, and Spanish 4 AP in 8th grade, allowing for potential college credit. In contrast, Option 2 denies 6th graders any Spanish instruction, and students must take a placement test in 7th grade to determine their course. This year-long gap in Spanish instruction in Option 2 puts those students at a distinct disadvantage compared to those at Option 1 campuses, hindering their opportunities for advanced Spanish study and potential college credit through AP exams. This inconsistency across campuses undermines the program's integrity and fairness, disadvantaging students based solely on their school zoning.

Lack of Communication until Recently

It appears the district planned the cancellation of the middle school Dual Language Program and its replacement with the Spanish Language Program well in advance of informing parents. Families, and many staff members are now learning of this significant change in February, just months before the upcoming school year, which will profoundly impact their children's education. This delay in communication has left many parents feeling blindsided and unprepared to navigate the new program's requirements.  If we wanted to put our kids in another program, such as a magnet school or charter school, it’s already too late to make many of those decisions.

 NISD is putting forth more effort in communication and we applaud that.  They have hosted many meetings on many campuses and teacher trainnings and there is much improvement.  They have addressed parents’ concerns with understanding and we are grateful for that.  This gives us hope as we sign this petition, that NISD will continue to be so supportive.

 

Our Ask

• Maintain the Dual Langauge Program as currently instituted.  Specifically, we ask that the district grandfather in the students who were promised this program through 8th grade. The current 5th graders face an impossible task of preparing for the LAS Links test in such a short time. This program is clearly beneficial to our children's education, and we want it preserved.
• Allow full admittance into the program.  Using the LAS Links test to gatekeep students from the program eliminates MOST of the students from the new program.  Perhaps we could use the test as a marker for where the students are at, but not to deny them from further Spanish education.
• Allow everyone in the current Dual Language program the opportunity to continue Spanish in 6th grade.  Expecting some students to take a year gap from Spanish is demeaning to the students and the program.
  • For those who attend an Option 2 Campus, we want them to have educational opportunities to continue Spanish in 6th grade.
  • For the many in elemenatry school dual langauge programs who don’t meet the requirements and are rejected from the new program, let's give them an option to continue Spanish in 6th grade as well.  If they can't be in the Advanced Spanish 2 class, let's offer them another course.  Let's not leave them behind.

As a community, we are willing to help however we can to support our children in their education.  Whether it be through classroom donations, fundraisers or volunteering, NISD, please reach out and let us know how we can support you supporting our children.

Parents/Guardians, please sign and add your own testimonial of the program to this petition.