Marty Atkins

The meeting focused on the structures of Dual Language programs, using the text 'Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education' as a reference. Following a review of a video by Dr. Medina, the group discussed bilingual buddy practices, differentiating between simultaneous and sequential bilingual learners. The main segment involved reviewing the Program Structure section from the guiding text. Participants divided into groups to discuss and present on key areas: Equity, Leadership, Program Planning, and Program Duration, ensuring presentations included content in both English and Spanish. Key concepts discussed included establishing an equitable environment valuing both languages, the importance of shared leadership for program cohesiveness, centering multilingual learners in planning, and the necessity of a minimum six-year program duration for optimal student achievement.

The Dual Language Task Force meeting included reports from three subcommittees: Program Structure, Curriculum/Assessment, and Staff Training. The Program Structure subcommittee proposed initiating a Dual Language program as a strand model at Birchwood Elementary School starting in 2024-25, addressing challenges such as equity and school readiness. The Curriculum/Assessment team considered curriculum design, subject language allocation, and teacher collaboration time, noting ideas from the WABE Conference 2023. The Staff Training team focused on supporting staff at all levels regarding Dual Language implementation and community communication. Following subcommittee reports, small groups engaged in review sessions resulting in questions concerning logistics, avoiding a silo effect, enrollment procedures (including potential lotteries), equitable funding, teacher qualifications, and professional development. The session concluded with small groups making connections between the Three Pillars of Bilingualism and The Bellingham Promise.

The fourth Dual Language Task Force meeting focused on reviewing the initial plan for meetings and evaluating progress made. Key discussions involved narrowing and refining the scope of work for the following school year, with a commitment to developing a detailed concrete plan subsequently. The group revisited the three pillars of dual language education, noting that programs intend to serve multilingual English learners. New learning included a presentation on the origins of English vocabulary and confirming that dual language instruction mandates half of the school day be taught in the partner language across all subjects. Small group work compared elementary, middle, and high school dual language program structures. Members also completed a feedback survey regarding participation for the next school year.

The meeting focused on updates from the three subcommittees concerning the Dual Language program. The Program Structure Subcommittee proposed initiating a dual language program at Birchwood Elementary School starting in 2024-25, featuring a K-Promise and Kindergarten strand program with a 90%-10% Spanish/English ratio, while addressing challenges such as equity of resources and school readiness. The Curriculum/Assessment Subcommittee discussed curriculum design, subject language allocation, teacher collaboration time, and potential resource utilization, drawing insights from the WABE 2023 Conference. The Staff Training Subcommittee detailed plans for supporting staff at all levels, including teachers of strand and non-strand courses, and community communication. Following subcommittee reports, participants engaged in small group work to review key findings and develop action plans for the 2023-24 year, focusing on program structure, grade-level pathways, enrollment, and staff learning. The session concluded with a discussion on connecting the Three Pillars of Bilingualism with the Bellingham Promise and considering the continuation of the working group into the 2023-24 school year.

The meeting focused on sharing insights from the La Cosecha Dual Language Conference (November 2-5, 2022) and aligning these learnings with the Dual Language Guiding Principles categories: Program Structure, Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment and Accountability, Staff Quality and Professional Development, Family and Community, and Support and Resources. Participants organized conference takeaways according to these principles using post-it notes and engaged in a gallery walk to review posters. The discussion also clarified the structure of the Task Force, which includes a large Community Advisory Group, specialized sub-committees aligned with the Guiding Principles strands, and a steering committee. The session concluded with participants completing an exit ticket to express interest in joining the sub-committees and prioritizing areas of interest.