Two-Way Immersion

The tour dates of our TWI program are November 7, 2018, December 12, 2018 and January 8, 2019 at 8:30 a.m.  Please RSVP to Claudia Caudill at 805.289.1872.  

Two-Way Immersion Programs are growing in popularity in the United States. Research shows that immersion education is the best model for attaining academic success while teaching a second language to both English speakers and English learners. The Ventura Unified School District began its first Two-Way Immersion Program in the Fall of 2000 with two kindergarten classes at Montalvo Elementary School. The program has expanded to include grades K-12.

The Goals of Two Way Immersion Education

The goals of the Two-Way Dual Immersion Program are to provide opportunities for children to:

  • Develop oral proficiency, literacy, and academic abilities in two languages;
  • Demonstrate academic performance at or above grade level;
  • Participate in cross-cultural relationships and learning experiences that foster the development of a positive self-esteem and cultural pride;
  • Get involved with their parents in their educational process.

Program Design & Evaluation

Montalvo's Two-Way Dual Immersion Program is designed to provide a strong beginning for all students. Classes are composed of a balance of English speakers and English learners. The cur-riculum (language arts, math, science, social studies, art, etc.) is taught primar-ily in Spanish during grades K-1 with a gradual increase in English instructional time until a 50:50 balance is obtained at 5th grade. Evaluation of student progress includes regular district assessments plus assessments of Spanish language skill