Evanston districts outline preK–12 dual‑language pathway; ETHS to launch Spanish language‑arts courses for incoming class

Evanston Township High School and Evanston/Skokie District 65 laid out a joint plan to expand dual‑language instruction across a preK–12 pathway, including initial Spanish language‑arts courses at ETHS for incoming ninth‑grade students.

Lindsay Rose, director of multilingual services at ETHS, and Amy Correa, director of multilingual services at District 65, described reciprocal committee work, shared student data systems and a multi‑year expansion that aims to preserve bilingualism and increase academic opportunity.

"A well run dual language program is designed to foster three main goals: bilingualism and biliteracy, grade‑level academic achievement, [and] social‑cultural competence," Amy Correa said as she summarized research‑based goals for the model.

District staff described practical steps already taken: both districts are using Elevation software for emergent‑multilingual student data and service letters and have established articulation meetings for students moving from District 65 into ETHS. Rose said the districts set up reciprocal committee membership and site visits — including a 2024 visit to Highland Park High School — to shape a shared vision.

Program design details presented to the boards included: - Early grades (K–1) with heavy Spanish immersion (about 80% Spanish instruction), ramping to roughly 50/50 Spanish‑English by grade 4. - A middle‑school dual‑language model with a 50/50 instructional day (Spanish: Spanish language arts, science and math; English: English language arts, social studies and specials). - ETHS plans to offer Spanish language‑arts courses this fall for incoming ninth‑grade students in the dual‑language pathway and to expand content and elective offerings in Spanish as staffing and enrollment allow.

District presenters gave enrollment context: more than 65% of emergent multilingual students at ETHS speak Spanish at home; ETHS has "over 800" multilingual students, with about 500 reporting Spanish as a home language. Correa and Rose said less than half of Spanish‑speaking emergent multilingual students currently enroll in Spanish‑heritage courses and fewer than a quarter took AP Spanish in 2023, which they characterized as an opportunity to strengthen the K–12 pathway.

Rose described staged middle‑school expansion: Betsy Rhodes will start a sixth‑grade cohort this year and add seventh grade the next year; by 2026–27 the district expects Foster school to open and to launch additional standalone middle‑school programs; the districts plan to expand one grade at a time so that, by the end of a multi‑year rollout, every middle school would host a dual‑language program if enrollment supports it.

Speakers repeatedly framed the work as asset‑based. Rose explained ETHS’s preference for the term "emergent multilingual" instead of "English learner," and emphasized that designation is unrelated to immigration or citizenship status.

Student voices also supported continuity: Rachel, the student representative, described her own shift from learning math in Spanish through elementary school to encountering content taught only in English in middle school, and welcomed ETHS’s plan to create more bilingual content at the high‑school level.

Why it matters: District leaders said continuing dual‑language programs through high school produces stronger academic outcomes, citing the Collier and Thomas meta‑analysis showing larger gains when dual language continues into secondary school. The districts said the pathway increases access to advanced coursework, dual‑credit opportunities and the seal of biliteracy for students from linguistically marginalized households.

Next steps and caveats: District staff said implementation will be phased and dependent on enrollment and staffing, and that parent choice determines which students enroll in the dual‑language strand. The districts plan further family and stakeholder engagement and cross‑district staff supports.

Ending: Board members praised the collaboration and asked staff to keep parents informed about the long‑term benefits and high‑school course options that will help families decide whether to enroll in the pathway.