Pasco’s 17 Elementary Schools Now Offer Bilingual Classes to Meet Growing Demand

The Pasco School District is expanding its bilingual program and, for the first time starting this school year, will offer it in all 17 of its elementary schools.

This means that most students in grades K-5 will have the opportunity to access Pasco’s top-notch multilingual learning program.

Carla Lobos, Pasco’s assistant superintendent of educational services, called it a turning point for the program. The district has expanded its program to older students by one grade each year.

Pasco has the largest bilingual program in Washington state and has been praised by education officials for its adoption of the science-based learning method. Nearly 2,200 students were enrolled in the program in the 2022-23 school year.

The Pasco school district has about 17,700 full-time students, who return to class Tuesday, Aug. 27.

Pasco’s bilingual program is based on three pillars: bilingualism and biliteracy, high academic achievement and sociocultural competence.

“It’s important for many reasons. The goals of bilingual education remain the same: the three pillars that we refer to,” Lobos said. “Those three pillars are the things that we support and want, that teachers want and that parents want for their children.”

One-way and two-way bilingual learning is a simple and effective method for teaching students to become bilingual learners and workers.

Bi-directional classes, for example, have students with two language backgrounds – often English and Spanish, or English and Russian – learning core subjects and delivering lessons in both languages ​​together.

Students can continue their high school education with the Washington State Seal of Biliteracy. Many Pasco students already graduate with this designation recognizing proficiency in English and another language, including 230 last June.

Studies have shown that allowing children to practice bilingualism can boost certain cognitive skills and brain development. But it is not necessarily an indicator of higher intelligence or a predictor of better academic performance.

Bilingualism can also have a positive effect on a student’s sociability, cultural understanding and employment opportunities.

Pasco is currently focused on transitioning late-release English courses, which have traditionally been marketed to students with limited English proficiency, to focus on programs that promote multilingualism.

“Bilingual programs have been shown to improve learning outcomes and well-being for all students who participate,” said Katy Payne, Washington OSPI’s director of communications. “Expanding access to bilingual programs has long been a priority for Superintendent (Chris) Reykdal and we are proud that the Pasco School District has made it a priority.”

Reykdal wants all 1.1 million public school students to have access to bilingual learning and the opportunity to master two languages ​​by 2040.

To achieve this goal, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill earlier this year creating a continuous stream of funding to expand these programs to every independent school district, with the goal of maintaining a much-needed bilingual workforce.

According to OSPI staff, there are about 141 schools statewide that offer bilingual learning in 40 school districts. This does not include traditional or tribal language programs.

Pasco Bilingual Program Expanded

Lobos says his Pasco program is seeing “record” interest, with many English-speaking families rushing to enter the district’s lottery to gain admission.

Demand for these programs is growing in the Tri-Cities, with young English speakers looking for a second language and English learners seeking a more holistic program.

“They understand the importance of seeing their children grow up bilingual and biliterate,” she said.

About a third of Pasco school district students are English language learners, according to the OSPI report. And about half of Pasco households speak a language other than English at home, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

The difference between one-way and two-way bilingual programs depends on the student body of the school.

One-way programs are suitable for schools where the majority of students share a common first language other than English. They involve English speakers learning a second language, often the language spoken by the non-English speaking group.

Two-way programs include a mix of students from two language backgrounds learning together.

Students begin in kindergarten, where they spend 80% of the school day speaking and learning in Spanish and the remaining 20% ​​in English.

“The 80/20 model will continue through first grade, and thereafter the percentage of English instruction will increase as students progress through the program.

“Beginning in third grade, students’ school day will be divided equally between the two languages ​​and will continue through 12th grade,” district staff say on their website.

Lobos says most students begin to master their new language by the end of first grade. By the end of second grade, students have acquired fundamental speaking and writing skills.

“By the time they get to third and fourth grade, the students are truly bilingual,” Lobos said.

Students who acquire a language at a young age, rather than later in life, acquire a “mother tongue” and a holistic competence in words and speech.

“There is no limit to the number of languages ​​that children can learn from a young age,” she said. “It has really changed the game for foreign language learning.”

Next year, Pasco will begin implementing bilingual education in its middle schools. The programs are currently limited to Ray Reynolds and McLoughlin middle schools, but the addition of sixth-graders at the district’s four middle schools will mark a significant change in the program.

“This means that next year there will be a huge expansion of bilingual education in middle schools,” Lobos said.