Elementary School Dual Language Program

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Dual Language Campuses

Dual Language in Elementary

Austin ISD offers Dual Language programs at 57 elementary schools, providing students with a multilingual education. Spanish/English Dual Language is available at 55 schools, Mandarin/English Dual Language at 3 schools, and Vietnamese/English Dual Language at 1 school.

Who Can Join?

  • The Dual Language Program is open to all students interested in learning in more than one language.
  • For non-Emergent Bilingual students in grades 2-5, it’s recommended that they have grade-level or near-grade-level skills in Mandarin, Spanish, or Vietnamese before joining. We encourage families to contact the campus directly for more details about the program experience.

Enrollment and Eligibility:

  • If your child is identified as an Emergent Bilingual (per Texas Education Agency criteria), they are automatically eligible to enroll in the Dual Language Program at their home school. Families may also apply for a transfer to another campus if it better meets their needs.
  • Non-Emergent Bilingual students can apply through the district’s enrollment process. Admission will depend on available seats at their home school or another campus. To gain the full benefit, students are encouraged to stay in the program throughout elementary school.

Transportation:

  • Austin ISD provides transportation for Emergent Bilingual students to attend a Dual Language Program if their home school doesn’t offer one and the campus is more than two miles away. Transportation is not provided for students who are not identified as Emergent Bilingual.

To start the enrollment process, please visit Austin ISD Enrollment.

Dual Language Program Description Video

Mandarin Chinese/English Dual Language

Austin ISD’s Mandarin/English Dual Language Program follows either an 80/20 or a 50/50 biliteracy model. Content areas taught in Mandarin are Math, Science, and Mandarin Reading and Language Arts. English content areas are Social Studies and English Reading and Language Arts. This Program is offered at Reilly Elementary School, Joslin Elementary School, and Doss Elementary School. For more information, visit the Mandarin Chinese website.

Spanish/English Dual Language

In Austin ISD’s Spanish/English Dual Language Program, young students start with most of their learning in Spanish, with more English gradually added as they move from one grade to the next..

  • Pre-Kindergarten: Students learn Reading and Language Arts, Math, and Science in Spanish, along with cross-linguistic English activities that help build language connections.
  • Kindergarten: Students continue learning Spanish Reading and Language Arts, Math, and Science in Spanish. They add English Reading & Language Arts and Social Studies in English, using cross-linguistic strategies to support their bilingual development.
  • 1st-5th grades: Students learn Spanish Reading & Language Arts and Science in Spanish. They receive English Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies, and Math in English using cross-linguistic strategies to continue their bilingual development.

This gradual approach helps students build strong skills in both Spanish and English over time. This program is offered at 55 schools.

Vietnamese/English Dual Language

Austin ISD’s Vietnamese/English Dual Language Program follows a 50/50 biliteracy model. Content areas taught in Vietnamese are Social Studies, Math, and Vietnamese Reading and Language Arts. English content areas are Science and English Reading and Language Arts. This Program is offered at Summitt Elementary School.

All elementary schools offering Dual Language can be found on the Dual Language program finder page.