LAS CRUCES – LCPS will hold a public meeting at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 30, 2012 in the board room of the LCPS Administration Building to provide information about LCPS dual language programs and a new dual language enrichment model that 14 elementary schools will begin using next school year, said LCPS Assistant Director of Instruction for English Language Acquisition, Bilingual, and Migrant Education Programs Roberto Lozano.
The presentation will be conducted by Lozano and members of his staff, along with Dr. Leo Gómez and Dr. Richard Gómez, founders of the Gómez & Gómez Dual Language Enrichment (DLE) Model.
The model was first implemented in 1996 in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District in South Texas, which Lozano, Superintendent Stan Rounds, and other LCPS officials visited in April 2012. The model has since been implemented in more than 450 schools in three states.
The model, which has demonstrated short- and long-term success in student achievement, is based on the belief that the most effective way to teach English to a non-native speaker is through a strong education in that student’s native language, combined with well-balanced instruction in English that progresses from simple to more complex. The ultimate goal is to make all students proficient or advanced in both languages.
Under the model, English language learners (ELLs) continue instruction in their own language through at least fifth grade, which results in greater long-term success for the students.
“I hope that parents and members of the community will attend the session, as this will be an excellent opportunity for them to engage with the researchers who have extensive experience in the full implementation of this model,” said LCPS Director of Instruction Dr. Steven Sanchez.
“The model will also benefit native English speakers whose target second language is Spanish,” said Lozano. “The goal of this program is for students to become bilingual and bi-literate in English and Spanish while meeting the rigorous content standards set forth by the New Mexico Public Education Department. We are very excited as we embark on providing our students an optimal learning environment that will prepare them to be successful in their future academic careers,” he said.
The Gómez & Gómez DLE Model will be implemented mostly in grades kindergarten-three at these elementary schools when the 2011-12 school year begins in August: Alameda, Booker T. Washington, César E. Chávez, Central, Columbia, Conlee, Doña Ana, Highland, Mesilla Park, Sonoma, Sunrise, Tombaugh, University Hills and Valley View. It will be implemented beginning in 2012-13 in grade six in Lynn, Sierra and Mesa middle schools and at Centennial High School, said Lozano.
“We are excited to implement Gómez and Gómez next year,” said Tombaugh Elementary School Principal Christa Vaudrey. “It is a very structured framework for delivering dual language instruction. This will help our grade-level expectations for learning and instruction become much more consistent. I love the emphasis on writing in all content areas – this falls right in line with our new Common Core standards. This will also help bring a consistency to instructional practices for ELLs school-wide. Our goal is that our ELLs out-perform the rest of our school, and I think Gómez and Gómez can help us do just that,” she said.
"Our school has been working toward bringing a consistent and cohesive approach to address needs of bilingualism and better prepare our second language learners,” said Central Elementary School Principal Eloisa Solis. “The (Gómez and Gómez) model lends itself to fully challenge our students to develop cognitive and academic language so that they are ready for a global society which demands it,” she said.
“I am excited about the potential of dual language education and the positive impact it will have on student achievement,” said Sierra Middle School Principal Brenda Lewis.
“Our department will closely monitor and support this initiative during the school year and will begin gathering data do determine its effectiveness,” said Lozano.