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Carpinteria Unified presents seven-year DLI study showing bilingual students’ gains in executive function and math
Summary
District leaders and UCSB researchers presented longitudinal data on Carpinteria Unified’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, reporting higher executive-function ratings and math growth among DLI participants while acknowledging COVID‑19 disruptions and noting plans to expand DLI pathways through middle and high school.
Carpinteria Unified School District leaders and university researchers on April 8 presented local findings from a longitudinal study of the district’s Dual Language Immersion program, saying students in the DLI pathway show stronger executive functioning and math achievement trajectories than comparable peers.
Dr. Matthew Quirk, who described an accelerated longitudinal design used to compare cohorts, told the board that "students who participated in the dual language immersion program had significantly higher levels of executive functioning" at third grade and that the effect persisted, though it flattened after pandemic disruptions. He said 94% of DLI students were rated in a "no concern" range for executive functioning in the pre‑COVID third‑grade measure.
DLI program leaders explained the district’s 90/10 K model that shifts gradually to 50/50 by fourth grade, and said the model includes daily designated English‑ and Spanish‑language development and strong parent engagement. Principal Brett Wyberg and Canalino leadership emphasized that the program aims for students to be bilingual, biliterate and bicultural and that parent involvement has increased campus engagement.
Presenters acknowledged important caveats. Quirk and colleagues said COVID‑19 interrupted some cohorts, noting the DLI cohorts were disproportionately affected by pandemic‑era disruptions compared with earlier comparison groups, and recommended interpreting longitudinal trends cautiously.
On academic measures, presenters highlighted math gains: third‑grade DLI students meeting or exceeding standards in math rose from 55% to 67% in one cohort as they advanced to fourth grade, with growth among English‑dominant and Spanish‑dominant DLI students alike. For English language arts, presenters said DLI students started with lower ELA percentages in third grade — reflecting limited early English instruction in the model — but that rates increased by fifth grade.
District leaders said the program will scale into middle- and high‑school courses (e.g., American history in Spanish), with about 57 students tracked per cohort in early analyses. Board members asked about selection effects, cohort sizes and transferability; researchers said some DLI participation involves an opt‑in element that can increase parent engagement and urged continued data collection as the program matures.
The board requested follow‑up data on reclassification rates and subsequent cohorts; presenters said UCSB researchers will continue studying DLI outcomes at Carpinteria Middle School and that the district plans continued professional development and regional collaboration.
