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District outlines dual‑language expansion; committee presses on high‑school pathway
Summary
The administration reported Woodland Academy now offers dual language K–6, the dual language magnet will add grades 7–8 and the district is exploring college‑credit partnerships for Burncoat High School to strengthen the high‑school strand; members requested a coherent K‑to‑12 strategy and teacher certification solutions.
The Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Student Success heard an update May 28 on the district’s dual‑language expansion and questioned how the district will strengthen the high‑school pathway.
Jessica Mendez, director of multilingual education, said Woodland Academy now provides dual‑language instruction from kindergarten through sixth grade — this is the first year Woodland has a sixth grade in the program. She said the Worcester Dual Language Magnet will add seventh and eighth grade next year and expand primary cohorts so the program will grow both by adding upper grades and by adding sections in primary grades.
Mendez said Burncoat High School currently shows low dual‑language enrollment; the district is pursuing collaboration with Quincy College to create college‑credit Spanish courses for 11th and 12th grades to make the high‑school experience more competitive with Chapter 74 and other programs.
Members asked how the district will create a coherent K‑to‑12 pathway and how it will address teacher certification bottlenecks. The administration said it is exploring credit‑bearing courses, community partner internships and pathways that lead to employment (including past placements that led students to medical interpretation jobs). Committee members approved the update and asked for continued data collection and future reports.
