Transforming Education through Dual Language Immersion: A Journey of Equity and Impact

Abstract Information: Dual Language Immersion (DLI) offers K-12 students the opportunity to learn a new language by splitting their school day into half of the day’s education in English and the other half’s education in a target language. Gwinnett County, Georgia has a diversity index of 80% compared to the U.S. diversity index of 65% and has been ranked the 7th most racially/ethnically diverse county in the United States by U.S. News (Hubbard, The 15 most diverse counties in the U.S. 2021). Because of this high level of racial and ethnical diversity in the county, our DLI program evaluation has found that the DLI program within Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) school system is especially transformational and equitable for the student population.

Method: Quantitative and qualitative data was collected as part of this evaluation including demographic data, district social/emotional survey data, 5th grade state Milestones assessment data, and focus groups and in-depth interviews with students/teachers/administrators. The data was then analyzed for trends to find the effect of the DLI program on academic and socio-emotional engagement.

Results: DLI and non-DLI students were largely comparable in their responses to certain questions within the districts survey on social-emotional well-being however, in-depth interviews with students show a distinct influence of the DLI program structure on students’ perceptions of social belonging and teacher relationships. State assessment scores showed that the DLI program influences the academic outcomes of multilingual learners (students with a primary language other than English) and is highly effective as an ESOL model in addition to a language enrichment program.

Conclusion: The analyses found that the “DLI effect” has influenced students in social-emotional well-being and academic outcomes, however, the impact of the DLI program extends beyond student achievement. Teachers, parents, and administrators have expressed the program's value and how multilingual learning has influenced culture and pedagogical practices at their schools.