Legacy Elementary credits dual-language immersion and data-driven instruction for improvement

A representative for Legacy Elementary told the Washington County School District Board on Jan. 9 that the school has focused schoolwide on data-driven instruction and that its Spanish dual-immersion program has been a major contributor to improved results.

Eddie, speaking on behalf of Legacy Elementary because the school's regular presenter could not attend, said the school aligned common formative assessments across grade levels, used those assessments to drive instruction and added student incentives tied to mastery of specific skills. Eddie said the school has made a significant turnaround: "We are the highest ranked dual title 1 school in the district according to the SAGE," he said, and noted the school had been near the bottom six years earlier.

Eddie quoted the absent Legacy representative, saying, "Dual language immersion ... it's the best thing that's ever happened to our school." He described the school's use of AAPPL (assessment of performance toward dual-language proficiency) results showing increasing proficiency by fifth grade and said about 60 percent of the student population speaks a language other than English at home. As a result, Eddie said Legacy places a Spanish-speaking staff member on each grade level to support parent–teacher conferences, which the school reports increases parent participation.

The presenter credited professional development and a continuous-improvement approach, and said the school asks students to demonstrate language skill at SEPs (student–parent conferences) so parents can see their child's progress in Spanish.

The board thanked the presenters and noted the report as part of the district's monthly school highlights.