Nine years ago, a group of 30 students at Esparza Elementary School took a chance when they enrolled in NISD’s first dual language immersion program.
Nine years later, those 30 students are graduates of Ross Middle School and are heading to high school as fluent speakers of both English and Spanish.
“These were the pioneers,” Esparza Principal Melva Matkin said. “It was unknown territory. It took some faith and bravery on the part of parents as well as kids.”
The students recently were honored at a special reception as the first class to complete NISD’s dual language program. Next year, the first dual language class from May Elementary will graduate from Stinson Middle School.
Villarreal Elementary also has a dual language program, and next year, the program will be expanded to include Howsman, Passmore, and Wanke elementary schools.
The dual language immersion program was established in NISD in 2000 for both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking students. The goal is for students to achieve literacy and fluency in both languages by the end of fifth grade, while meeting or exceeding NISD and state curricular standards.
In the first year of the program, 90 percent of the school day is in Spanish.
“At first it was difficult,” said Celeste Camacho, a dual language student who was born in San Antonio. “You’re trying to understand and remember everything.”
“The students hesitate because they’re not sure if they’re correct,” said Irene Garcia, a bilingual teacher at Esparza. “Once they feel comfortable, they start speaking.”
At first, English speakers and Spanish speakers weren’t able to communicate with each other, “but everyone started talking more to each other,” said Jovan Lozano, also a recent Ross graduate.
And then the students began helping each other.
“At first I didn’t want to go to school because I couldn’t talk to anybody,” said Erick Vazquez, who was born in Mexico and spoke only Spanish when he started school. “Half-way through the year, it changed.”
Within one to two years, the students could converse in their second language. By third grade, they were fairly fluent. By fifth grade, half of their instruction was in English and half in Spanish.
The benefits go far beyond language skills.
On the TAKS tests for reading, social studies, math, and science, the dual language students had higher passing rates well above the state and District average.
“They have beat the achievement gap,” Ross Academic Dean Judith Martin said.
Students took AP Spanish this last school year, which is the highest level of high school Spanish offered. It means their foreign language credits already are satisfied.
“Now we can take another language or an elective,” said Celeste, who would like to be a pediatrician and join Doctors Without Borders.
This is a huge advantage, considering the limited number of electives students can take in high school because the state requires students to take four years of English, social studies, math, and science.
Long-term, these students will enter college and the workforce as bilingual adults.
“It’s a ticket to being able to communicate,” Matkin said.
