SUHSD

DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS

Our MISSION

Sweetwater Union High School District supports the California Department of Education’s mission to equip students with multilingual skills that will allow them to fully engage with the diverse cultures, languages and heritages present in our community and the world. SUHSD is committed to educating global citizens who are high achieving, bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural, and are prepared to excel in the 21st century.

OVERVIEW

Multilingual programs prepare students for linguistic and academic proficiency in English and other languages. The design of Sweetwater Union High School District’s Dual Language programs is based on research that demonstrates our chosen model's effectiveness at leading students toward linguistic fluency and academic achievement in more than one language.

The Benefits of Bilingualism

SUHSD's Dual Language Programs

SUHSD has been a leader in biliteracy and bilingual education since 2002 when it established its first Dual Language (DL) program at Southwest Middle School. Sweetwater offers students quality bilingual education in English and Spanish in a Two-Way, 50/50, Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, a language acquisition process where both English and Spanish dominant students learn both languages simultaneously and together. It includes content coursework in Spanish and English as well as Spanish language, culture and literature courses to develop and enrich students' Spanish skills. Sweetwater’s DL programs are overseen by DL coordinators at the site level and a part-time district TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment). Some of their work includes vertical alignment, sharing best practices, and applying research-based practices in order to provide the highest quality DL programs for students.

Dual-Language Immersion (DLI)

Provides language learning and academic instruction for native speakers of English and native speakers of another language. The goals of DLI programs are language proficiency and academic achievement in students’ first and second languages, and cross-cultural understanding. DLI programs offer students academic courses in English and another language. DLI is offered through grade 12 at select schools

Heritage Language (HL)

These courses provide basic heritage language and culture instruction to English and non-English speakers who are heritage speakers of another language with limited literacy skills in their heritage language.

Heritage Language courses (i.e.Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1-2) are offered at most SUHSD schools.

Native Speakers Courses (NSC)

These are courses of language, culture and literature study designed for native speakers of the target who are already literate in their first language. They are typically offered in grades seven through twelve. Native speakers courses (i.e. Spanish for Spanish Speakers 3-4, AP Spanish Literature, etc.) are offered at most SUHSD schools.

State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB)

The State Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. This recognition is awarded by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in accordance with specified criteria set forth in the legislation. The program is overseen by DL leaders at the site and district level. The State Seal of Biliteracy is offered at all SUHSD high schools, with the exception of Palomar, Launch and Options.

OUR DLI SCHOOLS