Models of Two-Way Bilingual Education for Catholic Schools

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Roundtable: Cultural Responsiveness in Catholic Education

Abstract

Catholic education, with its philosophical focus on serving traditionally marginalized students--including immigrants with limited English proficiency--is uniquely poised to serve students from diverse backgrounds (Scanlan & Zehrback, 2010). Leaders from a network of Catholic schools from across the United States that are implementing two-way immersion education were interviewed regarding their curriculum models, the evolution of their models, and the integration of student assessment for program improvement. A grounded theory approach was used to explore some of the key themes that emerged from the data, including a commitment to bilingualism that includes full cultural immersion; two-way immersion programs with unique Catholic features; and challenges in using summative assessments. Recommendations for best practices in two-way immersion model implementation are discussed

Authors

• Myra Rosen-Reynoso, Boston College

• Jonah Steiss, Boston College