Superintendent's Community Message: The Dual Language Immersion Program
Dear West Contra Costa Unified Community:
I’m writing to you to clarify some information about our district’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program.
DLI at Washington Elementary and Korematsu Middle School is not going away. As students progress from grade to grade, families who wish to enroll their children in the DLI program at Washington Elementary, followed by DLI at Korematsu Middle School, followed by El Cerrito High School, will be prioritized in the enrollment process. However, families must request a transfer when their student is progressing from one school to the next – students will not be automatically enrolled.
For the first time, students at Korematsu are in a DLI course for half of their school day. We are excited that we were able to expand DLI course offerings at Korematsu, where the DLI pathway now includes courses in language arts, math and history. This is an achievement and makes our model a true DLI pathway through 8th grade.
At the high school level at El Cerrito High, AP Spanish courses are available, which is a part of the criteria a student needs to meet for the California State Seal of Biliteracy. However, due to staffing shortages, we have been unable to hire qualified teachers at the high school level to sustain the middle school model.
I hope this clears up any misunderstandings.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst
Superintendent