Bilingual students acquire English in many settings. Bilingual students eat lunch and go to recess with English speaking students, and bilingual teachers teach ESL lessons in their own classrooms. Because the students' native language is strong when they enter the program, the bilingual classrooms are self-contained with the majority of the instruction in Spanish. This is to promote literacy and enable bilingual students to keep abreast of their classmates in academics while they are acquiring English. In reading, math, science and social studies, bilingual students are held to the same standards as English only students, but with the instruction in Spanish.
Third grade is the year when bilingual students learn to read in English.
Students are integrated into English speaking classrooms and all instruction except reading is taught in English by the classroom teacher. In fourth grade, students are in their integrated class for the entire day. They are still able to receive help from bilingual and ESL support staff for as long as they need it. This help is available to students who move in to the district at any grade level. This is an opportunity that 3rd-5th graders have to use their talents in writing or drawing.