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Thompson School District principals, teachers and students showcase dual‑language program and test results
Summary
District principals and the world‑language TOSA presented an overview of the Thompson School District dual‑language immersion (DLI) model and recent assessment results; students performed bilingual presentations and staff described proficiency goals and extracurricular language opportunities.
At the March board meeting, principals from Cottonwood Plains and Trescot elementary schools described Thompson School District’s dual‑language immersion model and recent proficiency results for elementary students.
Eric Harding, principal at Cottonwood Plains Elementary School, said the district’s elementary model places students in English and Spanish instruction for roughly half the day in kindergarten through second grade, then shifts more content instruction in Spanish in grades three through five. "Our teacher that teaches in English handles language arts, social studies, science, and SEL," Harding said, describing how instructional responsibilities are divided across language teams.
Toni Tyson, the district’s dual language and world language TOSA, explained the district’s use of the ACTFL‑aligned "APPLE" assessment (Language Testing International) for grades three through five. Tyson said the assessment measures speaking, listening, reading and writing to determine proficiency bands such as novice, intermediate and advanced. "We have 4 tests that we start in third grade," Tyson said, describing the speaking test for third grade and the progression to writing in fifth grade.
Harding summarized combined results for the district’s two dual‑language elementary schools: roughly 5% of third‑grade students scored at novice‑4 or better on the speaking measure; about 81% of fourth graders scored at novice‑4 or better in listening and about 71% at novice‑4 in reading; and about 89% of fifth graders scored at novice‑4 or better in writing. Harding noted the figures combine results for the two DLI schools and cautioned that proficiency is a multi‑year outcome.
Karen Hanford, the co‑presenter, introduced fourth‑grade students who performed bilingual presentations during the meeting. One student, Alondra, described learning two languages as a way to "communicate in other countries" and to meet new people.
Board members praised the presentation and asked about how the program supports students who arrive as non‑English speakers. Harding said the dual‑language model gives Spanish‑dominant students an opportunity to be "the expert for half the day" and helps protect self‑esteem while accelerating language development. The presenters said about 450 students are enrolled across the two elementary dual‑language buildings and that additional program details and artifacts are posted on school websites and the board agenda packet.
The board did not take action on the program tonight; the presentation was informational and followed by a short Q&A and photo opportunity with students.
