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La Grange SD 102 reviews expansion of dual-language program at Congress Park, no action taken
Summary
District staff presented data on a growing dual-language program at Congress Park, reported 3 kindergarten dual-language sections this year, noted 36 newcomers districtwide, and outlined possible lottery and priority rules if demand exceeds space; the board took no action.
District staff presented the La Grange SD 102 board with data and options for a growing dual-language program at Congress Park and said no formal action is requested at this meeting.
“What's really one of the really wonderful things about our dual language program is that it's agile,” Rachel Owens, the district’s Yale coordinator, said. Owens said interest in the program rose this year enough to run three dual-language kindergarten classrooms at Congress Park rather than the usual two, and the district admitted “everyone that wanted to join dual” from families who live in District 102.
Owens said the district added dual language as an option in the central registration system (previously it appeared only for Congress Park families) and began notifying families at kindergarten information nights that dual language is available across the district. If demand continues to exceed capacity, staff proposed using a lottery with transparent priorities that would include siblings and families whose home school is Congress Park, as well as English-learner or newcomer status.
When board members asked about newcomer counts and outcomes, Owens said newcomer enrollment is growing: “We have 36, in the district.” Staff discussed achievement data comparing students in Congress Park’s dual-language classes with monolingual peers, noting small gains in some measures and emphasizing limits of the local sample size. Teaching-and-learning staff cautioned that differences in MAP and IAR scores can look small numerically but represent meaningful grade-level differences at some grades.
Board members asked whether the district’s implementation was achieving intended results and whether the program was being used to support newcomer students; staff said the program was designed to support English learners and that a “vast majority” of EL students participate in dual language. The presentation made clear the district is exploring whether to treat Congress Park as a language center if growth continues, and staff said any structural change would be proposed at a future meeting.
The board did not vote on or adopt any policy changes related to dual language at this meeting.
