Dual Language Program

DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM

The main objective of Burbank’s Dual Language Program is to develop students who are fully bilingual and bi-literate. Students who have had instruction at the elementary level in either Developmental/ Maintenance (D/M) or Two-Way Dual-Language Programs are given the opportunity to maintain and further develop their formal academic Spanish while continuing their English instruction.

In the program, teachers promote high academic standards for students with curriculum that centers on the state standards for both academics and languages, preparing them to achieve oral and written competence in both languages for academic, career, and personal purposes.

During each year Academy students will demonstrate that they are aware of the importance of understanding the difference between cultures by completing interdisciplinary group projects that illustrate the impact of multiculturalism in their own community, the workplace, and/or in the world.

NEWCOMER PROGRAM FOR RECENT ARRIVALS

 The Newcomer Program for students identified as recent arrivals provides students who have been residents of the U.S. for less than three years with an opportunity to receive instruction in the content areas in the first language at an accelerated rate, while receiving intensive ESL instruction as per district and state requirements. Spanish is used to introduce new concepts in the content areas where possible and English is gradually incorporates as the students acquire more and more English. Intense instructional classes in the English Language are, of course, a vital part of the overall program.

 

As these students meet the Texas Academic Standards for beginning ESL level, more English is gradually incorporated into the content areas until the student is ready to move to a level where both languages are balanced to fifty percent English instruction and fifty percent Spanish instruction. These students will be able to continue developing academic skills in their first language while acquiring and mastering proficiency and literacy in their second language (Cummins, 1989, 1992) thus developing balanced bilingual/ bi-literate students. When ready, the student may move into the Dual Language program or all English instruction.

PROGRAM GOAL

To develop students who are fully bilingual and biliterate.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

1. To develop a Dual Language Program that will also promote high academic standards for all students.
2. To prepare students to achieve oral and written competence in the Spanish Language comparable to their English ability for both academic purposes and interpersonal communication.
3. To provide students with a multicultural education that can foster international relations and the understanding between cultures.

International Spanish Academy

Burbank Middle School is a proud member of the ISA program since 2006. The International Spanish Academy (ISA) program is an educational outreach initiative of the Ministry of Education of Spain where high performing schools in the United States and Canada implement a Spanish- English dual language immersion curriculum with the Ministry's support and recognition.

 For more information click International Spanish Academy

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La escuela secundaria Burbank se honra en ser miembro del programa ISA desde el 2006. ISA, sus siglas en inglés que significan Academia Internacional de Español, es una iniciativa de extensión educativa auspiciada por el Ministerio de Educación de España que apoya y reconoce los planteles de educación destacados en Estados Unidos de América y Canadá que tienen un currículo de inmersión inglés-español.

Para más información sobre ISA, por favor oprima International Spanish Academy

We have the only Dual Language Vanguard Program in the district where students can receive their dual language instruction within the framework of advanced academics. Students in the Dual Language Academies take Spanish for High School credit in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, with most students taking AP Spanish in eighth grade. Gifted and Talented (GT) students can participate in the Dual Language Academy as well as be served as Vanguard students. Our teachers are GT certified, and we offer two advanced academic strands within each grade level in the Dual Language Academy.

We have offered the Advanced Placement Spanish course for high school and college credit since the school year 2009-2010. Over the course of that time, we have given the AP Spanish test to more than 1,400 students, averaging more than 100 students per year. Our students' passing rate has always been outstanding. During the 2024-2025 AP Spanish test administration, the passing rate for all the Texas students who participated (36,740) was 76.3% and the passing rate for all 193,943 students who tested globally was 83.8 %. The passing rate for the 108 eighth grade AP students at Burbank was 81.5 %! 

 We also enjoy being one of the few schools HISD's to have been designated as an International Spanish Academy by the Ministry of Education of Spain.

Thank you for your interest in our Dual Language Program at Burbank Middle School! To apply, please choose Dual Language in the School Choice application page.

Please note that our Dual Language Program requires students to fluently speak, read, and write in Spanish. Students are also required to take a Spanish language class and experience being taught in both English and Spanish in the core subjects of math, science, and social studies.

If you believe your child will struggle in our Dual Language Program, we recommend applying for a space-available transfer or to our Vanguard Magnet Program, which requires the student to be GT.

Language Use in Content Area Classes in the Recent Arrival Bilingual Program (RAB)
 for Math, Reading, Science & History

Level 1: Beginning- All new content area concepts are presented in the first language (L1) throughout the year.

After three weeks in class, the student has had some exposure to English in the ESL classroom. At this time the content area teacher will begin to add English vocabulary lessons to address concepts already introduced in the first language. These English vocabulary lessons will continue in all Content Areas throughout the two years of the Recent Arrival Program (RAB).

By the second six weeks (or grading period), in addition to the English content vocabulary lessons, students will be given short English sentences that address concepts already introduced in the first language.

By mid-year, students are given short English summaries, in paragraph form, of concepts introduced in the first language. Simple ESL activities are incorporated into classroom time that utilize these short summaries.

Level 2: Intermediate- All new content area concepts are presented in the first language (L1) throughout the year.

After three weeks in class, the student has had some exposure to English in the ESL classroom. At this time the content area teacher will begin to add English vocabulary lessons to address concepts already introduced in the first language. These English vocabulary lessons will continue in all Content Areas throughout the two years of the Recent Arrival Program (RAB).

By the second six weeks (or grading period), in addition to the English content vocabulary lessons, students will be given short English sentences that address concepts already introduced in the first language.

By mid-year, students are given short English summaries, in paragraph form, of concepts introduced in the first language. Simple ESL activities are incorporated into classroom time that utilize these short summaries.

Level 3 and 5: Advanced and Advanced High- Students still identified as LEP but in U.S. schools longer than two years.

Math, Science, and History

All Math concepts and the majority of instructional activities are presented in English. In Science and History, all concepts and the majority of instructional activities are presented in Spanish.

From the start, all units include a Spanish vocabulary lesson to accompany concepts introduced in English. These Spanish vocabulary lessons will be included throughout year in order to continue the development of academic Spanish.

In addition to the Spanish content vocabulary lessons, each instructional unit will also include at least one activity in Spanish that addresses the concepts studied in class.

Students will present at least one group project in both English and Spanish for Math and Social Studies. For Science, students will present labs and/or group projects in both Spanish and English.

Reading

All Reading concepts are presented in English. (i.e. What is the main idea?)

Stories or reading selections and the majority of instructional activities are in English.

From the start, all units include a Spanish vocabulary lesson to accompany concepts introduced in English. These Spanish vocabulary lessons will be included throughout year in order to continue the development of academic Spanish.

In addition to the Spanish content vocabulary lessons, each instructional unit will also include at least one activity in Spanish that addresses the concepts studied in class.

Non-LEP / DLM Students

Math
All Math concepts and the majority of instructional activities are presented in English.

From the start, all units include a Spanish vocabulary lesson to accompany concepts introduced in English. These Spanish vocabulary lessons will be included throughout year in order to continue the development of academic Spanish.

In addition to the Spanish content vocabulary lessons, each instructional unit will also include at least one activity in Spanish that addresses the concepts studied in class.

Students will present at least one group project in both English and Spanish.

Reading
All Reading concepts are presented in both English and Spanish although not necessarily in the same lesson. (i.e. What is a main idea?)

Stories or reading selections may be in either English or Spanish but if the reading is in English, all activities must remain in English or in Spanish if the reading was in Spanish.

Students will be present projects in both Spanish and English as appropriate to the unit.

Science and History
All concepts and the majority of instructional activities are presented in Spanish.

From the start, all units include a English vocabulary lesson to accompany concepts introduced in Spanish. These English vocabulary lessons will be included throughout year in order to continue the development of academic English.

In addition to the English content vocabulary lessons, each instructional unit will also include at least one activity in English that addresses the concepts studied in class. Students will be present labs and/or group projects in both Spanish and English.

Dual Language Parent Meeting Dates will be posted here when available.