District’s dual-language program expands to K–4 and plans fifth grade; teachers report gains and staffing challenges

District teachers and program leads reported progress and growing enrollment in the Chenoweth Elementary dual-language immersion (DLI) program at the Sept. 26 board meeting.

Speakers described grant-funded professional development, mentoring with Oregon State University consultants, and a multi-year effort to strengthen program fundamentals. Staff said the DLI program currently serves kindergarten through fourth grade (about 125 students across strands) and that two bilingual instructional assistants were hired to support classrooms.

Teachers credited the grant and outside mentors with improving instructional practice and said the district adopted Spanish language arts and I‑Ready math to provide better continuity between English and Spanish instruction. The DLI team also held a family night to solicit parent input and plans to add a fifth-grade strand next year.

Program leaders acknowledged challenges: substitute teachers who can speak Spanish are scarce, and some positions have been filled under preliminary or emergency licenses during the program’s early years. Teachers urged continued district support and engagement with families as the program scales.

A teacher summarized the program philosophy plainly: bilingualism is an asset and the program aims to foster biliteracy, high academic achievement and sociocultural competency. The board received the report and offered praise for having an Oregon regional teacher-of-the-year among DLI staff.