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Adelante principal Javier says bilingual, arts model is driving strong student outcomes
Summary
Adelante Charter School presented its Spanish‑first immersion model, family engagement and robust performing‑arts program to the county board, citing higher test performance and large parent participation despite a high proportion of English learners and economically disadvantaged students.
Adelante Charter School principal Javier told the Santa Barbara County Board of Education that the school's bilingual immersion model, strong arts programming and family engagement are producing measurable gains.
"Adelante is a very special school," Javier said during the board meeting presentation, describing a program in which Spanish instruction dominates early grades and shifts toward a 50/50 Spanish–English balance by 5th and 6th grade. He said about 43% of students are English learners, roughly 72% are socioeconomically disadvantaged and about 14% have disabilities, and that the school has recently "been outperforming the county" and state measures shown in the school's slides.
The presentation described instructional rounds, teacher professional learning, and the school's renamed family advisory committee (EVAC), which the presenters said regularly draws dozens and sometimes around 100 families to monthly workshops. The school also emphasized bilingual performing arts and an annual musical, noting that every class performs and many students participate in speech and debate activities the school calls "Data Stage."
Board members asked how the school manages enrollment; Javier said Adelante runs a November lottery for kindergarten and reserves a mix of slots so new classes include students who are bilingual, Spanish‑only and English‑only. He also said most graduates typically move on to Santa Barbara Union High School.
The county's curriculum and instruction staff and Superintendent Salcedo presented Adelante with a certificate of appreciation following the visit and encouraged board members to attend student performances.
The presentation drew questions about enrollment and program details but no formal board actions; staff thanked the Adelante team for the visit and said they would continue to support dual‑language programming in other districts.
