Utah DLI - State promotional video (1 minute)

What is Dual Language Immersion?

Utah Dual Language Immersion Program uses a fifty-fifty model, in which students spend half of their school day in the target language and the other half-day in English. Most of the state’s programs begin in 1st grade. All state-sponsored schools with Dual Language Immersion programs are required to implement the fifty-fifty model and use two teachers, one who instructs exclusively in the target language for half of the day and a second who teaches in English for the remainder of the day.

From first through third grade, the target language curriculum includes literacy study and the majority of the content subjects (math, science, and social studies). The English curriculum focuses on English language arts and some collaborative reinforcement of the content. Teamwork is essential! The curriculum shifts in the fourth and fifth grades, as most conceptual instruction in math and social science is taught in English. Practical application of these subjects remains in the target language. In the sixth grade, social science shifts back to the target language and science shifts to English instruction. These curriculum changes in the upper grades purposefully allow for more instruction time in the target language, focusing on literacy study and increasing student proficiencies. Specific proficiency goals for every Dual Language Immersion language are set at each grade level in all areas: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

The Utah Dual Language Immersion Program then offers one course in grades seven through nine. Participating students are expected to enroll in Advanced Placement language coursework and complete the AP exam in either the ninth or tenth grade. In grades ten or eleven through twelve, students will be offered upper division university-level coursework through blending learning with six major Utah universities.

The Benefits of Dual Language Immersion

1. Second Language Skills: Students achieve high proficiency in the immersion language.

2. Performance on Standardized Tests: Immersion students perform as well as or better than non-immersion students on standardized tests in English.

3. Cognitive Skills: Immersion students typically develop greater cognitive flexibility, demonstrating increased attention control, better memory, and superior problem-solving skills as well as an enhanced understanding of their primary language.

4. Cultural Competency: Immersion students are more aware of and generally show more positive attitudes towards other cultures & an appreciation of other people.

5. Long Term Benefits: Immersion students are better prepared for the global community and job markets where 21st century skills are an asset.

Davis School District school boundaries and this feeder pattern are subject to change periodically as we adjust for population changes and the opening of new schools.

FAQ about Immersion

Many people have asked questions about the dual Language Immersion program in the Davis School District. To help ensure that correct information is being shared in the community, please refer to the answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions. 

• How are 1st grade students selected for the immersion class?

  An online application is available sometime in January. Interested families can complete the application during the initial application window. If more students apply than the program can accommodate, a lottery is held for the spots in the class.

• Is this a gifted program? Are students prescreened or can anyone apply?

  The immersion program is NOT a gifted program, although it certainly serves the needs of a gifted learner. The immersion program is open to any interested incoming kindergarten student and prescreening is not part of the application process.

• Can a student participate in the DLI program only part of the day? 

  Participation in a dual language immersion program is a comprehensive educational experience. Beginning in first grade, English speaking teachers are paired with partner language teachers. They collaborate to support student mastery of both the core content standards and partner language skills in a full-day program. It is the expectation that students who are enrolled in a dual language immersion program participate fully in the school academic day and its prescribed instructional design. A student may not participate in a dual language immersion program on a limited basis.

• Do you need to live within the school boundaries to be able to participate?

  While living within the boundaries is not mandatory, preference is given to those students who would normally be assigned to attend that particular school. Occasionally, space is available for those living outside the school boundaries. Principals will be able to let patrons know if there will be room for out of boundary students in their school.

• If I live out of boundary of an immersion school, should I submit a boundary permit or variance application?

  No, there is no need to submit a boundary permit or variance application. Simply submit the application for the immersion program. If a student is admitted into a DLI program at a school, they will be placed into the school without the need for a special permit or boundary variance. In the meantime, students are encouraged to first enroll in their boundary school.

• If an older sibling joins the DLI program, are all of our younger children grandfathered into the same immersion program?

  Families with younger siblings of older children who joined one of our districts DLI programs during the 2016-2017 school year or prior, are 'grandfathered' into the same DLI program. Families who joined a district DLI program during the 2017-2018 year or after, must apply and qualify according to the district application rules.

• Can older students join the immersion program?

  As openings occur, students can join existing immersion classes up through the 2nd grade without demonstrating target language proficiency. Students are hand-selected for these openings based on factors that help ensure student success. Because the new student will be at a significant disadvantage coming into an existing immersion classroom, the student identified as the one most likely to succeed in this setting will be selected. If more than one applicant has met the guidelines for placement, a lottery will be held for the opening. Students wishing to join an immersion program after the 2nd grade need to demonstrate grade level target language proficiency.

• What if my child isn’t selected for immersion? Will he be at a disadvantage?

  The immersion programs in Davis District are very limited in number and unfortunately, there are more interested students than there are openings. While this is a wonderful opportunity for students to acquire a second language, it is neither the mission nor the primary focus of the Davis School District. The district’s mission statement is “Learning First” and is centered around the academic success of all students. The district prides itself on the quality education it provides to ALL students living in Davis County. The teachers in all the schools are well-trained and provide an outstanding education for all students.  

• Are the immersion teachers all certified to teach?

  All of our immersion teachers hold a Utah teaching license, however they come from a variety of backgrounds. Most have been educated in our local universities and have graduated with an Elementary Education or language degree. Others are International Guest Teachers from foreign countries. These teachers have been hand-selected by their respective governments to come to Utah to teach in our schools. They represent the “best and brightest” these countries have to offer. Other foreign teachers have spent a year as an intern in one of the immersion schools and then move to a full-time teaching position the following year. A small number of teachers have a college degree in an area other than education; however, all are screened through a rigorous process by the Utah State Board of Education in order to ascertain their aptness to teach in our schools. If necessary, they take university and state-sponsored classes to complete their course work in Elementary Education.

• How are immersion programs funded? Do they take money away from other programs at the school?

  The district funds the immersion classrooms as they fund all classrooms, paying the salary of the teacher and providing teaching space. The immersion classrooms receive the same funding for supplies, books, etc. as do other classrooms in the building. District and school funds in excess of what is normally allotted to every classroom are not used to support immersion classrooms.  In addition, the immersion programs are given funds through money set aside by the Utah State Legislature specifically for the Dual Language Immersion schools. These monies are used to purchase textbooks, classroom supplies and other curricular needs, as well as covering the cost of substitute teachers when immersion teachers are at state-sponsored workshops. If a school dropped their immersion program, these funds would NOT be available to the school or the district. Because of the legislative money, immersion schools generally have district funds freed up that can used by other classrooms outside of the immersion program.

• Are the students in the immersion classes doing poorly academically because they are learning math and science in another language?

  The district administration has been vigilant in tracking the academic achievement of all immersion students. End of year test scores show that the immersion students in Davis District are scoring at the same level as their monolingual peers in math, language arts and science. Scores are measured against scores of peers as well as against demographically similar schools throughout the district.

• What happens when the immersion students reach junior high and high school? Won’t the language classes offered be too easy for them?

  7th and 8th grade students will be offered one or two courses per year of advanced language classes. In 9th grade, the immersion students have an opportunity to take an A.P. (Advanced Placement) exam and will be tested to possibly receive college credit. If students don't pass the A.P. test in 9th grade, no problem! The A.P. test is difficult as a 9th grader. Students would just go on to take the A.P. Language class in high school. If, however, a student does pass the AP exam with a score of 3 or higher, he or she will be accelerated into the Bridge program, where students may take upper division level 3000 university courses in grades 10-12. 

• What happens if a student leaves the immersion program and then wants to come back?

  Students who leave a district immersion program can rejoin their cohort if there is still space in the program and the student can demonstrate grade level language proficiency based on the state benchmarks. The AAPPL or STAMP proficiency tests are frequently used to make this determination.

AAPPL TEST FOR DLI ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

• Interpersonal Listening/Speaking
• Presentational Writing
• Interpretive Reading and Listening

Once you receive notification of program acceptance, your DLI school will contact you about the needed forms to complete the registration process. 

The below link is ONLY for students wishing to join a district DLI program this school year (mid-year requests)

2023-2024 DLI application

(2024-2025 application is linked on the home tab)

Jo Carmiol, MA
K-12 World Languages Specialist
Dual Language Immersion Programs
jcarmiol@dsdmail.net
801-402-5147