Robbinsdale Area Schools has been a pioneer in offering language immersion learning opportunities to students for over 30 years.  Our district was the second district in Minnesota to offer the opportunity for students to be immersed in a second language.  Since welcoming our first immersion kindergarten class in 1986, Robbinsdale has remained a leader in language immersion education offering students a comprehensive program to support students' academic and language development from Kindergarten through grade 12.  In our programs, students learn the same rigorous Robbinsdale Area Schools curriculum while gaining advanced levels of proficiency in both Spanish and English.

Program Goals:

The goals for all students in our Spanish Dual Language Immersion programs are:

      1.       To become bilingual and biliterate:  Have the ability to read, write, listen and speak at high levels in both Spanish and English.

      2.       To achieve at or above grade level in all academic areas.

      3.       To be bicultural and culturally competent demonstrating positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors.

Program Structure:

Elementary

Students in Robbinsdale Dual Language Immersion programs begin receiving 90% of their instruction in Spanish and 10% in English and are taught by qualified bilingual teachers. As the program progresses students receive progressively more instruction in English as they approach 5th grade. The programs include native speakers of English, Spanish, and many other languages.  Research has proven this model to be the most effective for long-term language and academic development.

Middle School

In middle school students receive 3 of 7 academic courses in Spanish (Spanish Language Arts, Social Studies and Science)

High School

In high school students prepare to take advanced coursework in Spanish and are prepared to take AP and IB exams that can earn university credit as well as the Minnesota State Seal ofBiliteracy.

Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program Options

Robbinsdale Area Schools offers a variety of program options to meet the needs and interests of students across the district.

One-Way Spanish Immersion Magnet
Program:

• Open to all students via application and lottery at RobbinsdaleSpanish Immersion Elementary
• School-wide program
• Focus on acquisition of Spanish as a second language
• All students receive transportation

Two-Way Spanish Dual Language
Focus Program:

• Open to students at Northport Elementary
• Families complete a program preference form and will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis
• Classrooms balanced between native speakers of English and native Speakers of Spanish

o    Students support each other as both models and learners of language

• Two Spanish Dual Language classrooms per grade level

o    Kindergarten 2019-2020

o    Additional grades will be added each year

• Students will be integrated with peers for specialists (Music, PE, Art, etc)
• Transportation provided to students within the Northport attendance area

Program Pathways: