Jacksonville ISD Special Language Program

Rita Rosales
Director of Bi-Lingual Education &
Special Language Staff Development

The Office of Special Languages, located on the Jacksonville Middle School Campus, administrates second language student services through a variety of programs. Immersion education in JISD provides accelerated second language instruction for Spanish and English speakers. Through comprehensive, student-centered programs, the educational linguistic need of the second language learner is met.

Elementary Special Language services range from a comprehensive Sheltered English program to innovative Dual Language Programs.

Sheltered English instruction is provided at grades PK-5. Highly trained, English as a Second Language teachers provide English classroom instruction with bilingual paraprofessional support.

Elementary sites:

Elementary serves second language learners through a Two Way language immersion program model. The Dual Language students' instruction is 50% in English and 50% in Spanish. The instruction is provided by a certified English speaking teacher and a certified Spanish speaking teacher. English and Spanish speaking students learn side by side in two classrooms with the target language of instruction being the native language of the teacher.

Secondary sites:

The Jacksonville Middle School serves second language learners through a comprehensive English as a Second Language program. The program services include Spanish facilitators in the classroom, small group English reading instruction with a certified ESL Reading Specialist and academic content instruction with a bilingual certified teacher.

The Jacksonville High School serves second language learners through a comprehensive English as a Second Language program provided by a certified ESL teacher.